Characteristics of Vouchers Are Well-Suited To Meet Needs of Lowest Income Families

The Nation’s number-one housing problem is the lack of affordable housing for extremely low-income households, particularly families with children. Housing vouchers directly mitigate this affordability problem. The flexibility inherent in the voucher program helps avoid the concentration of poor families by providing voucher holders with a broad choice of housing units. Moreover, vouchers continue to meet the needs of low-income families even as those needs change. As family size changes or economic opportunities arise in different locations, the voucher can be used for a new housing unit. This flexibility appears to have positive effects on adult employment and welfare receipt as well as on children’s health and educational outcomes. Key Characteristics of Section 8 Housing Vouchers A housing voucher is an income supplement earmarked to meet housing costs. Section 8 housing vouchers pay the difference between 30 percent of a household’s income and a locally determined payment standard. In theory, the payment standard is set so that a family may choose from approximately 40 percent of the unit