Housing Choice Voucher Case Study

The Housing Choice Voucher Program, also known as Section 8, is influenced by multiple policy actors, various interest groups, and sub-committees. These actors provide the education, research, and support needed to keep the policy flourishing and to also to make sure it is running efficiently. The Section 8 program began in 1974 by the U.S. Government. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is responsible for funding this subsidy program yet there are many aspects that come into play to help this policy stay in effect. First of all, HUD is a government agency that has the responsibility of funding the Section 8 program. When an individual applies and is approved for a housing voucher, they are required to pay only a portion …show more content…
A landlord is responsible for making sure a tenant is living in safe and healthy environment. If they default in any way, all of their PHA funding may cease. This is the struggle that can sometimes come between the tenant and the landlord. For example, a tenant can make a complaint about their landlord to the PHA, yet there may be long delays in getting the issue heard or corrected. Many times a tenant may live in unacceptable conditions for long periods of time while in the process of making a case. In the meantime, the landlord could make temporary changes that may soon resume right back to the previously unsafe conditions. On the other hand, if a landlord is found at fault, they will no longer receive a voucher until they correct the …show more content…
For example, there is a group called the Inclusive Communities Project (ICP), in North Texas, they work to establish housing communities that do not contain any discrimination or segregation. They also make sure that homes are suitable for families and will speak against unfair practices. They are known for their lawsuit against HUD which stated that HUD’s fair market rental rates were unfair. The ICP said that the rates set in place only enabled families to be stuck living in unaccepted environments and crime-ridden neighborhoods.
Another example of a biases actor for affordable housing is the Poverty and Race Research Action Council (PRRAC). This group supports civil rights and focuses on the connection between poverty and race. The PRRAC is a donor funded program that seeks to ensure that Section 8 is not a segregated program. It sets up housing mobility programs within local communities that provide education and