Low-Income Housing Policy / Robert Collinson, Ingrid Gould Ellen, Jens Ludwig.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Collinson, Robert.

Contributor:

National Bureau of Economic Research.

Ellen, Ingrid Gould.

Ludwig, Jens.

Series:

Working Paper Series (National Bureau of Economic Research) no. w21071.

NBER working paper series no. w21071

Language:

English

Physical Description:

1 online resource: illustrations (black and white);

Place of Publication:

Cambridge, Mass. National Bureau of Economic Research 2015.

Summary:

The United States government devotes about $40 billion each year to means-tested housing programs, plus another $6 billion or so in tax expenditures on the Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC). What exactly do we spend this money on, why, and what does it accomplish? We focus on these questions. We begin by reviewing the history of low-income housing programs in the U.S., and then summarize the characteristics of participants in means-tested housing programs and how programs have changed over time. We consider important conceptual issues surrounding the design of and rationale for means-tested housing programs in the U.S. and review existing empirical evidence, which is limited in important ways. Finally, we conclude with thoughts about the most pressing questions that might be addressed in future research in this area.

Notes:

Print version record

April 2015.