As low-income families wait years to receive housing assistance vouchers, experts suggest new ways to improve the program and help more eligible households.
Households eligible for federal housing assistance vouchers are often unable to get on waiting lists whose numbers stretch into the tens of thousands, writes Molly Bolan in Route Fifty, making the program ineffective for a large portion of the people who qualify for it.
With families languishing for years in unstable short-term housing, what can states and cities do to assist struggling renters? One solution, according to some experts: tax credits. “Tax credits give governments flexibility to target specific populations, such as the elderly or people with disabilities,” Bolan explains. “Plus, property owners won’t necessarily know which tenants are receiving tax credits to help with housing costs,” mitigating the potential for discrimination against low-income households.
Other ways to improve the effectiveness of the voucher program include passing laws against source-of-income discrimination and implementing cash assistance programs that could reduce administrative overhead and get people into stable affordable housing faster.
FULL STORY: Without enough housing vouchers, what can cities and states do?
Affordable Housing: A Primer
A guide to affordable housing definitions and federal housing assistance programs.
National Survey Shows ‘Severe, Widespread, and Worsening’ Housing Crisis
Mayors from around the country agree that more support is needed at the federal level to strengthen housing assistance programs.
What Might Federal Housing Policy Look Like in 2025?
Changes to tax incentives, fair housing laws, and housing assistance programs would quickly start impacting local efforts to stem the housing crisis.
What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities
How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.
‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge
Basic resources and information on building bike lanes and sidewalks, formerly housed on the government’s Complete Streets website, are now gone.
The VW Bus is Back — Now as an Electric Minivan
Volkswagen’s ID. Buzz reimagines its iconic Bus as a fully electric minivan, blending retro design with modern technology, a 231-mile range, and practical versatility to offer a stylish yet functional EV for the future.
Healing Through Parks: Altadena’s Path to Recovery After the Eaton Fire
In the wake of the Eaton Fire, Altadena is uniting to restore Loma Alta Park, creating a renewed space for recreation, community gathering, and resilience.
San Diego to Rescind Multi-Unit ADU Rule
The city wants to close a loophole that allowed developers to build apartment buildings on single-family lots as ADUs.
Electric Vehicles for All? Study Finds Disparities in Access and Incentives
A new UCLA study finds that while California has made progress in electric vehicle adoption, disadvantaged communities remain underserved in EV incentives, ownership, and charging access, requiring targeted policy changes to advance equity.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research