Housing choice voucher program participants often have a hard time finding housing that will accept their vouchers. Also known as Section 8, the program helps low-income families and individuals pay for housing in the private market, giving them more choice and opportunity in life.
We’ve already reported that a big part of the problem is that voucher values don’t keep up with rents, especially in neighborhoods with more job opportunities, better schools, and transportation. We’ve also reported that discrimination against Section 8 users doesn’t help matters.
But since landlords don't have to accept Section 8 tenants, their participation can be a challenge, as well.
Philip Tegeler, president of the Poverty and Race Research Action Council, said “you really need to get out there and market the program and not just rely on landlords that you’re used to dealing with in the concentrated Section 8 neighborhoods. That’s the path of least resistance. That’s the easiest thing to do. It’s the wrong thing to do.”
To that end, housing authorities, non-profits, and advocacy groups have started various initiatives to increase the number of landlords who rent to tenants with Section 8 vouchers.
Read the full version of this reportat Keystone Crossroads' website. Keystone Crossroads is a new statewide public media initiative reporting on the challenges facing Pennsylvania's cities. WPSU is a participating station.
