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Long-term Effects of Housing Vouchers: Findings from the Family Options Study 12-Year Followup

Friday, November 14, 8:30 to 10:00am, Property: Hyatt Regency Seattle, Floor: 7th Floor, Room: 701 - Clallum

Session Submission Type: Panel

Abstract

This panel presents new 12-year findings from a pathbreaking long-term study about family homelessness. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) launched the Family Options Study in 2008 to evaluate the effectiveness of the housing and services available in communities for families experiencing homelessness. The random assignment study compares the effects of offering priority access to three interventions—a long-term rent subsidy (SUB, primarily housing choice vouchers), a short-term rent subsidy (CBRR), and project-based transitional housing (PBTH)—with one another and with the usual care available to families experiencing homelessness (UC).


The study previously found notable improvements in housing stability and radiating effects on other aspects of family and child well-being in the first three years after a priority offer of a long-term rent subsidy. These findings spurred interest in learning whether those improvements persist, whether new findings emerge over the longer term, and potential reasons for those findings. The study collected followup data on participants at a 12-year followup to: (1) determine whether the positive effects of priority access to a long-term rent subsidy persisted over a longer period and whether other effects emerged over time; and (2) learn about the longer-term patterns of housing and economic instability for highly vulnerable families with experiences of sheltered homelessness. As part of this study, the research team also explored the duration and patterns of use of HUD-funded long-term rental assistance over time and how duration and patterns of use were associated with study outcomes. Data sources include surveys with the family head, minor children, and children who have aged into adulthood (termed adult children) as well as administrative data on HUD-funded long-term rental assistance, employment and earnings, and Medicaid enrollment and claims.


This session will include three papers. The first paper focuses on how families who were not offered priority access to a long-term rent subsidy were faring 12 years later. These findings provide evidence on how families who use programs and services most commonly available to families experiencing homeless fare over time, including the extent to which they access long-term rental assistance over time.


The second paper will focus on experimental impact estimates of SUB versus CBRR, PBTH, and UC, following the pre-registered study analysis plan (Brown et al., 2024). The study’s confirmatory (primary) outcome is experiences of homelessness or doubling up within the past 6 months. Other outcomes include housing stability, family preservation, economic well-being, adult well-being, minor child well-being, and adult child well-being.


The third paper provides insight into how families who have experienced homelessness make use of long-term rental assistance, comparing patterns for those who received priority access to those who did not. Non-experimental analysis of association of outcomes with the duration and patterns of voucher use will provide additional context to the impact estimates. We also will use administrative data to explore how family head earnings vary around the timing of exits from long-term rental assistance.

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