The Changing Role of Government: Assessing the Implications of Shifting the Section 8 Housing Vouchers Program From Federal to State Operation

Author: Staci Gilliam

Dissertation School: Howard University

Abstract:

This study answers the following questions: 1) Will shifting the current Tenant-Based Rental Assistance program from federal to state operation improve the delivery of housing vouchers to eligible recipients?; 2) What are the implications of the pending Housing Assistance for Needy Families Act for current housing voucher recipients, state welfare and housing agencies, and HUD?; 3) What type of employee training and skills development will have to be acquired before states will have the capacity to implement the Section 8 housing vouchers program?; and 4) What lessons can be learned from the outcomes of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Act of 1996?

To accomplish the research objectives of this study, three states will be selected as the study's research population. The three selected states will be those that currently receive the highest number of Section 8 housing vouchers, have a large number of operating public housing authorities, and have had significant successes or failures with implementing TANF welfare-reform strategies.

Both quantitative and qualitative research methods will be utilized during the implementation of this study. Quantitative research will be conducted in the form of stakeholder-specific surveys that will be administered to representatives of the following groups: State welfare and housing agencies; public housing authorities; members of Congress; current Section 8 housing voucher recipients; and current HUD staff. The results of these surveys will be used to identify some of the challenges that exist with the current Section 8 housing vouchers program, assess stakeholder's concerns related to the pending legislation, and identify alternatives to the current legislation. The final outcome will be the creation of an implementation strategy, which will produce a set of recommendations to be used during the implementation of the pending legislation to ensure that shifting the implementation of this program from federal to state will not create negative consequences for communities and stakeholders.

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