This September Shared Justice will publish the 2019 Student-Faculty Research Prize reports. In anticipation of their release, we are publishing excerpts from last year’s “Reframing the Safety Net” series. Jordan-Mary Bellamy, Gordon College student, and her faculty advisor, Dr. Paul Brink, were 2018 recipients. The Prize is designed to equip college students, with the guidance of their advisor, to engage in thorough research of political and social issues from a Christian perspective.
In “The Housing Choice Voucher Program in a Changing Economy”, Bellamy and Brink focus their research on the Housing Choice Voucher Program, which allows individuals and families to participate in the private housing market using vouchers. However, in many communities rent prices have increased far faster than the value of the vouchers. The report offers insight into the role of government and civil society in ensuring that low-income households have affordable access to housing. Below is a series of excerpts from Bellamy’s report.
Discover
There are few things more foundational for healthy family life than a safe and comfortable place to live. While millions of American families rest assured each night knowing that their next rental or mortgage payment is secure, for millions of others, the shortage of affordable housing has placed this vital component of family life completely out of reach. Particularly in the nation’s cities, the neighborhoods that once provided working-class or lower income families with stable communities, access to schools, and health care have changed, sometimes due to new developments such as luxury apartments and other amenities, but often due simply to an affordable housing shortage due to rising rent...
The Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program, commonly referred to as Section 8, is one of the largest [United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)] programs that addresses housing needs. Enacted by Congress in 1937 and expanded in later years through the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974, the HCV program is designed to make housing affordable for “very low-income families, the elderly, and the disabled”....
Given that the two largest recipients of the HCV program are the elderly and families with children, government has the responsibility to recognize the needs of these vulnerable populations and communities…HUD and affiliated government agencies such as Public Housing Authorities administer the majority of public assistance, often in partnership with other civil society institutions including churches, businesses, and nonprofits.
Frame
Research has demonstrated that children who grow up in a stable home have better health and educational outcomes and are more likely to have access to greater economic opportunities later in life. It is particularly troubling, then, that families with children account for nearly 60 percent of the average HCV waitlist, according to NLIHC [National Low Income Housing Coalition]. The HCV program also assists more than 1.2 million elderly individuals and persons with disabilities. A Center on Budget and Policy Priorities report notes that “by 2025 2.4 million senior households will pay over 50 percent of their income for rent and utilities—an increase of over 40 percent from 2015.”...
The effectiveness of the HCV program relies in many ways on the level of government funding it receives. In order to ensure that the value of vouchers keeps pace with rental market, Congress could consider allocating additional funds to the program. Government can also offer tax incentives to landlords and developers that allocate a certain percentage of their housing units for HCV recipients...
In contrast to government, civil society institutions often have the advantage of specialized insights into their communities and can provide holistic support appropriately tailored to specific community needs.
Mobility counseling is one recent trend in which counselors provide direct support to voucher recipients to find affordable housing in an area that meets their lifestyle needs, such as access to a school, after school programs, and public transportation to and from work...In Illinois, the Chicago Housing Authority partnered with Housing Choice Partners (HCP), a nonprofit organization, to offer HCV recipients “classes on how to find a good school and how to be active participants in their new community.”...
While government, nonprofit organizations, private developers, and landlords all have vital roles to play in addressing the challenges of affordable housing, churches have a distinct responsibility and unique opportunity, especially in connection with community and family life. The call for the Church to be concerned with the home and the family is foundational to the Christian faith...The Church has an opportunity to bring awareness to and address issues like affordable housing and responsible development practices that impact their congregations and communities.
Engage
Lynn, Massachusetts offers a living laboratory for many of the challenges associated with the HCV program. Long a destination for immigrant families on Boston’s North Shore, Lynn is characterized by significant racial, cultural, and economic diversity. However, rents have increased considerably as Lynn continues to be redeveloped, resulting in limited affordable housing options….
According to the Lynn Housing Authority and Neighborhood Development’s (LHAND) most recent annual report, 1,413 Section 8 HCVs have been administered as of December 2014. With 20 percent of Lynn’s population living in poverty, affordable rent is not a luxury but rather a necessity to ensure current residents remain in the community…
To support low-income residents, Kings Lynne [Apartments] has a unique feature to reduce the cost-burden for renters through a SureDeposit system. According to SureDeposit, their “risk management tool” provides “surety bonds to residents.” If residents purchase a SureDeposit bond, then they will pay a lower cost for their security deposit. The SureDeposit system allows for property managers to receive a guaranteed payment, yet reduces the move-in cost to lease an apartment…
According to the Economic Policy Institute’s Family Budget Calculator, a family of four in Essex County, Massachusetts, where Lynn is located, will require $8,691 monthly to cover their basic needs. Within this sum, housing is by far the largest expenditure. However, the median income for Lynn residents is less than this estimate, demonstrating that lower-income families simply do not have enough funds to pay for the necessities of life—including housing. Kurt Lange, Lead Pastor of East Coast International Church (ECIC), recognizes the role he and his church play in supporting residents...
ECIC advocates for affordable housing and provides emergency housing in partnership with The Haven Project, which seeks to “equip and empower homeless unaccompanied youth to be successful and reach their potential.”...The Salvation Army is a faith-based organization serving residents of Lynn. Salvation Army’s Rent and Utility Assistance program provides rental assistance for those who are past due on their rent....
As Lynn balances the tension between new development and ensuring affordable housing for current residents, it is vital that government as well as developers and landlords make decisions and policies that honor the dignity of Lynn residents and promote the flourishing of the entire community.
To read more about the Housing Choice Voucher Program and how the public and private sectors can make housing affordable for low income households in America, read Jordan-Mary Bellamy’s full report “The Housing Choice Voucher Program in a Changing Economy.”