Locked Out: The Systematic Exclusion of Poor Renters From Federally Subsidized Housing

Megan C. Smith and Thomas H. Byrne

Housing Policy Debate, 2023, vol. 33, issue 4, 983-1001

Abstract: Affordable housing is a critical resource with serious ramifications for a range of outcomes for low-income households. However, low-income prospective tenants are often denied subsidized housing through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) on the basis of factors directly or indirectly related to their poverty and racialized identities. This study assesses how the admissions policies of public housing authorities and Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance developments in Rhode Island define criteria for denial on the basis of applicants’ criminal legal history, alcohol use, landlord history, and credit history. Three key findings emerge from this study that highlight the endemic nature of housing exclusion and elucidate how it is enacted. First, the plans include grounds for denial that far exceed the HUD-mandated criteria and utilize long lookback periods. Second, plans lack clarity and transparency. Third, admissions criteria vary significantly by development characteristics. Policy interventions include increased oversight and transparency and advocacy for inclusionary language.

Date: 2023
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:taf:houspd:v:33:y:2023:i:4:p:983-1001

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DOI: 10.1080/10511482.2021.1950803

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