Year: 1985
Type: dissertation
Abstract: breakthrough from traditional housing is the Section 8 program that was authorized by the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974.This •program began in 1975 with a total nationwide allocation of approximately 55,000 units and now supports one million households. 3 The largest Section 8 program is the Section 8 Existing Housing on which this paper will focus.The other components are Section 8 Substantial Rehabilitation, Section 8 Moderate Rehabilitation and Section 8 New Construction.Section 8 Existing Housing is unique among federal housing assistance programs because the subsidy is attached to low income household directly instead of to a particular housing unit.Households may apply for Section 8 Existing Housing Assistance at local public agencies which have been allocated funds by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development.If a household meets the program's income eligibility requirement, which is less than 80% of the standard metropolitan statistical area median income adjusted for the household size then he/she is eligible."The household must find a private market rental unit that meets quality standards that are specified by Housing and Urban Development.If the household is successful it pays 25% ( changed 30% as of 1981) of its' income to the landlord and the balance is paid by the public housing authority with funds obtained from HUD. 5 3Roger Montgomery and Dale Rogers Marshall, ed., Policy in the 1980's (Massachusetts: Lexington Books, 1980), p. 170."Howard S. Bloom and Susan E., Philipson Bloom, "Household Participation n the Section 8 Existing Housing Program," Evaluation Review 5 (June 1981): p. 327.subsidies to eligible households occupying existing units that are decent, safe, and sanitary.The specific provisions defining acceptable quality units in the regulations include specific requirements with respect to plumbing, heat, and the like.All the units must meet these standards unless the local public housing authority proposes an alternative quality that is accepted by HUD. 8Lastly, because of the nature of the Section 8 Existing Program, it should reduce the concentration of low income and minority families and encourage economic and racial integration.9Assistance to tenants in dispersed locations can occur in two ways: lower income households living in a variety of neighborhoods may receive in-place assistance and families receiving certificates may move to scattered areas within the public housing authority's jurisdiction.10 Either of these patterns of assistance might constitute racial or economic intergration.Theoretically, it appears that the Section 8 Program should be easily implemented, both efficiently and effectively in all respects.In a very concise manner for the purpose of this paper, efficiency simply means "doing things right" and effectiveness means "doing the right thing.
Author: Lawrence, Keitha Denise
Institution: University of North Dakota
Language: English
Topic: Housing Market and Economics
Subfield: Economics and Econometrics
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7203800465