Does Jobs Proximity Matter in the Housing Choice Voucher Program?
The Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program is the key component of a housing strategy that attempts to influence neighborhood opportunity while making housing more affordable for low-income families. A study by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) examined whether HCV households with people in the workforce are more likely to locate closer to jobs than HCV households without people in the workforce. The study also examined whether being closer to jobs is associated with greater likelihood of employment or greater earned incomes. The researchers found no evidence that HCV households with people in the workforce are more likely to locate closer to jobs, and no associations between earned income and greater proximity to jobs. The authors conclude that the evidence of the importance of job proximity for HCV households is not sufficient to warrant it being as high a priority as other factors, such as safe neighborhoods and access to high-quality schools.