Abstract
The structure of rental markets coupled with the design of the Housing Choice Voucher Program (HCVP), the largest federal housing subsidy for low-income families in the United States, provides the opportunity to overcharge voucher holders. Applying hedonic regression models to a unique data set of Milwaukee renters combined with administrative records, we find that vouchered households are charged between $51 and $68 more in monthly rent than unassisted renters in comparable units and neighborhoods. Overcharging voucher holders costs taxpayers an estimated $3.8 million each year in Milwaukee alone, the equivalent of supplying 620 additional families in that city with housing assistance. These findings suggest that the HCVP could be made more cost-effective—and therefore more expansive—if overcharging were prevented.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 137-162 |
Number of pages | 26 |
Journal | City and Community |
Volume | 15 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jun 1 2016 |
Externally published | Yes |
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Urban Studies