Date of Award

Spring 5-19-2024

Degree Name

Master of Arts

Major

Public Policy

First Advisor

Professor Sean Fitzpatrick

Abstract

The decline in support for public housing investment in the U.S. prompted the federal government to pivot towards tenant-based rental subsidies by establishing the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program, a revised version of Section 8, in 1998 (Edson, 2011). Through the HCV program, administered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) through Public Housing Authorities (PHAs), low-income households can receive rental subsidies without being locked into a neighborhood or rental unit, allowing for increased socio-economic mobility. Despite the federal government's rental assistance through the HCV program, limited funding and strict eligibility requirements make it challenging to meet the demand of all residents seeking rental assistance throughout the country. A recent report by the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) states that the U.S. has a shortage of 7.3 million available rental homes that are affordable, estimating that 34 in 100 housing units are accessible to low-income families. To support federal efforts to increase housing affordability, state and local governments have moved towards developing state-funded rental assistance programs that meet the state-specific needs of low-income households that have yet to receive federal rental assistance.

This report will discuss a comparative analysis of Connecticut’s Rental Assistance Program (CT RAP) and similar programs in Hawaii, Massachusetts and New Jersey to identify best practices for administering rental subsidy programs. Each program will be evaluated based on their efficiency and accessibility to their target demographics. Eligibility criteria, management of applications and waitlists, disbursement of funds, assistance and outreach models, evaluating, monitoring and reporting practices will be discussed to identify best practices amongst each state’s approach. Comparisons and methods highlighted will inform policy recommendations for improving upon CT RAP and state-wide efforts for assisting low-income residents.

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