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Are Landlords Overcharging Housing Voucher Holders?

Are Landlords Overcharging Housing Voucher Holders? 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. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png City and Community SAGE

Are Landlords Overcharging Housing Voucher Holders?

Desmond, Matthew; Perkins, Kristin L.
City and Community , Volume 15 (2): 1 – Jun 1, 2016
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References (76)

Publisher
SAGE
Copyright
© 2016 American Sociological Association
ISSN
1535-6841
eISSN
1540-6040
DOI
10.1111/cico.12180
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

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.

Journal

City and Community – SAGE

Published: Jun 1, 2016

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