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A Relational Analysis of Porting in Illinois' Federal Housing Choice Voucher Program Author: Andrew J. Greenlee Dissertation School: University of Illinois at Chicago Pages: 33 Publication Date: 04/2010 Availability: Access Number: 10864 Abstract: Housing policy in the United States currently sits at a metaphorical crossroads, with many housing scholars and practitioners questioning our current course and future direction. The realities of the current housing market conditions request that housing scholars not only take stock of our current situation, but also to question how research and policy come together to influence the experience of housing at the level of the consumer. For policy researchers and scholars concerned with low-income housing, this crossroad is particularly salient. While the types of contemporary "market corrections" realized within many housing markets ironically suggest the creation of a "new" stock of more affordable housing, at the same time, demand for scarce affordable housing resources continues to grow in many locations. Such circumstances call affordable housing scholars to go back to the basics in order to question many of the assumptions underlying policies, but more importantly, to assess the implications of these assumptions upon the experiences and outcomes experienced "on the ground" by program participants. Currently serving more than 2 million households annually, the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program represents one of the largest low-income housing subsidies in the nation, being rivaled only by the Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program. At a time when softening housing markets and dwindling state resources create challenges for the effectiveness of both programs to meet the needs of program stakeholders, concerted research is needed in order to help policymakers and program officials understand what aspects of policies are currently working, and which aspects require further thought or modification. In this vein, this study seeks to look at a very specific aspect of the Housing Choice Voucher program, namely the program's provision for voucher portability between housing authorities. This research is focused on understanding administrative perspectives on portability from the perspective of public housing authority (PHA) directors and voucher program managers, and also from the perspective of other public officials and social service administrators who interact directly with voucher program administration and clientele. The aim of this research is to begin to rethink how the concept of opportunity works within the voucher program by exploring the relational production of opportunity through the actions of state actors (housing authorities), market and economic actors (landlords), and individual program participants. Administrators,program directors and managers are faced with the dual task of interpreting and administering federal policy at a local level, while at the same time dealing with the unique situations, perspectives, and issues faced by individual households as they seek voucher assistance and the implicit promise of opportunity through residential selection and mobility that the housing voucher program offers. This research seeks to develop a better understanding of some of the issues that program managers face while serving as the mediator between the state, landlords, and other market actors, and individual households participating in the voucher program. |
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