Wang, Acolin, and Walter Explore Role of Housing Vouchers as a Safety Net and Tool for Economic Mobility
Posted: 12/25/2025 (CSDE Research)
CSDE Affiliates Vince Wang (Real Estate), Arthur Acolin (Real Estate), Rebecca Walter (Real Estate) examined employment status and wage trajectories of recipients of the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program from 2005 to 2018 in a recent article in Housing Policy Debate. Drawing on a national dataset containing 22.5 million householder-year observations, the study shows most housing voucher recipients did not work while in the program, and those who did earned relatively low wages despite some growth. These results highlight that the Housing Choice Voucher program is primarily a housing stability policy for people outside the labor force. Efforts to encourage program exit should focus on the smaller group of recipients in the workforce, supporting their employment goals.