Vouchers: A "briar patch" for LHAs?

The vouchering process could create a very peaceful, profitable, and unregulated existence for housing authorities. In a voucher system, HUD would give a voucher based on the Payment Standard in an area to all of an LHA's public housing residents. This would give residents a choice and would al...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of Housing and Community Development 1996-09, Vol.53 (5), p.7
Main Author: Thomas, Fred N
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Housing subsidies
Operating costs
Public housing
Vouchers
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:The vouchering process could create a very peaceful, profitable, and unregulated existence for housing authorities. In a voucher system, HUD would give a voucher based on the Payment Standard in an area to all of an LHA's public housing residents. This would give residents a choice and would allow residents to pay more money for housing, if they so desire, thereby satisfying both the liberal side and the conservative side of Congress. The inequity between payments given to the LHA and to the private landlords can be remedied by a plan in which Congress pays only a percentage of the subsidy, as is done in the welfare program. Using the welfare program as an example, Congress will have to fund 50% or less of the Section 8 Voucher Payment Standard just to break even with their present expenditures. Under this type of system, LHAs will be able to set economical rents to cover operational costs. If the housing authority accepts a voucher as the private sector does currently, HUD would have to stay out of the LHA's business, just as it stays out of the private sector's business.
ISSN:1534-648X