Economic Mobility or Safety Net? Examining Employment Outcomes of Housing Choice Voucher Recipients

• In Event: Employment and Financial Outcomes of Participants in Rental Assistance Programs

Abstract

This study examines employment status and wage trajectories of recipients of the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program, the largest rental housing assistance initiative in the United States, from 2005 to 2018. Drawing on a national dataset containing 22.5 million household-year observations, the research underscores the dual role of the HCV program as both a safety net for housing stability and a potential tool for economic mobility. The findings reveal that nearly three out of four voucher households in the sample were not employed in any given year after entering the program. Additionally, over half of the households (53.8%) never earned wage income during their participation in the HCV program. While overall employment rate among recipients was limited, those who consistently earned wages experienced 2.7% real annual wage growth, contrasting with national trends of 1.5% real annual wage decline for similar income groups over the same period. Furthermore, the study highlights that the HCV program's impact on economic mobility is uneven and varies significantly across demographic subgroups. These findings underscore the importance of recognizing the HCV program as first and foremost a policy that guarantees stable housing serving many individuals in need of permanent, lifelong support who do not participate in the labor force and are not expected to move towards self-sufficiency. Initiatives aimed at self-sufficiency should be targeted to the smaller group of voucher recipients who are capable of participating in the workforce and focus on supporting these households’ employment goals.

Authors

• Vince Wang, University of Washington
  Presenting Author

• Alex Ramiller, University of Toronto
  Non-Presenting Co-Author

• Arthur Acolin, University of Washington
  Non-Presenting Co-Author