Assisted Housing Mobility: Beyond Gautreaux-MTO (June 2012)

THE ASSISTED HOUSING MOBILITY MODEL: Beyond Gautreaux-MTO STRATEGIES FOR OPERATIONALIZING CHOICE BROKER THE MARKET: actively line up units in opportunity neighborhoods (search on behalf of clients, put onus of search process on program operator/PHA) EXPAND SUPPLY: Increase/preserve the # of available voucher-appropriate units, specifically in opportunity areas MITIGATE TRADE-OFFS: via neighborhood targeting, new forms of “assistance” (car vouchers, etc) TRACK METRO SHIFTS: adjust locational targeting over time (e.g., mass movement to suburbs among blacks in metro Chicago between 2000 and 2010) MOBILITY NEXT: STRATEGIC CHALLENGES Adapt to market context and changing settlement patterns Improve housing careers: Improve locational trajectory (not just the first move) and prevent "recurrence" to high-risk areas. Expand your leverage, e.g. car and child care vouchers, partnering with real estate agents, new roles and relationships for nonprofits and PHAs, link vouchers to LIHTC scoring, etc. Incorporate performance management and learning into programs BARRIERS TO MOBILITY are better understood Demand-side barriers to search and healthier choice mental and physical health problems limited time, money, information, transportation, and help from counselors/program operators weakness of strong ties/obligations Supply-side barriers discrimination landlord participation administrative barriers and shortcomings availability of voucher-appropriate units in target neighborhoods HOW FAMILIES CHOOSE: PREFERENCES AND TRADEOFFS Clients make difficult real-time tradeoffs when choosing a home (especially in tight markets): choices aren’t based on abstract prioritized lists of preferences Willingness to make certain kinds of tradeoffs varies significantly between households Common in tight markets: tradeoff between a safer neighborhood and a better unit (both are typical threshold concerns) Other factors: proximity to social supports and networks; access to child care; public school performance; affordable + convenient transportation; proximity to jobs; changing family composition and life stage EXTRA CHALLENGES Acute supply-side barriers (few/decreasing #s of available units and "suppply" of affordable opportunity areas) Choice architecture + counseling are not sufficient if options are inadequate and eroding More difficult tradeoffs + involuntary moves Clients often “take what they can get” and do their best to manage neighborhood risks Increasing rent burden + concentration of “worst-case needs” TIGHT MARKETS ONGOING ISSUES Xavier de Souza Briggs/MIT 5th National Conference on Assisted Housing Mobility June 2012