Title

The Protective Effects of Housing Assistance Programs on Eviction

Author(s)

Louis Donnelly Louis Donnelly (Princeton University)

Jeanne Brooks-Gunn Jeanne Brooks-Gunn (Teachers College and the College of Physicians and Surgeons at Columbia University)

Sara McLanahan Sara McLanahan (Princeton University)

Irwin Garfinkel Irwin Garfinkel (Columbia School of Social Work)

Abstract

Recent research highlights that housing eviction in common in the lives of low-income families, especially urban mothers. Housing assistance programs are expected support residential stability, but little is known about their protective effects on eviction. In this study, we use 15 years of panel data on a diverse sample of urban families from all regions of the U.S. to compare the likelihood of eviction between low-income mothers who reside in public housing, private housing subsidized through a voucher program, and non-subsidized private housing. Findings show that eviction is not uncommon among those who participate in housing assistance programs; annual risk of eviction is between 2 and 3 percent. However, low-income mothers' receipt of public housing and voucher assistance reduces their likelihood of eviction substantially; comparable low-income mothers who do not receive assistance are around 1.7 percentage points (or 40%) more likely to experience an eviction in a given year.

Creation Date

2017

Section URL ID

Paper Number

WP17-07-FF

URL

https://fragilefamilies.princeton.edu/sites/fragilefamilies/files/wp17-07-ff.pdf

File Function

Jel

I38, R31, R23

Keyword(s)

Suppress

false

Series

8