HOPE VI, Section 8, and the Contradictions of Low-Income Housing Policy

Abstract

ABSTRACT We examine the HOPE VI and Section 8 housing programs in New Orleans, LA, to address whether they can be effective anti-poverty strategies. We conceptualize the housing system as a system of social stratification, arguing that recent policy shifts reinforce market dynamics and do not increase access to affordable housing. Our analysis suggests market-centered programs, together with sizeable cuts in federal assistance, are shifting many low-income housing residents to the private market, resulting in economic distress for these families. We maintain that lack of access to affordable housing is fundamentally a public policy issue. We see the combination of lower levels of housing funding and increased private sector control as likely to reduce the long-standing federal commitment to housing, while exacerbating inequalities. Addressing the contradictions inherent in current housing policy could be the first step toward genuine anti-poverty policy reform and progressive change.