UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI Date:___________________ I, _________________________________________________________, hereby submit this work as part of the requirements for the degree of: in: It is entitled: This work and its defense approved by: Chair: _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ Community Resistance to the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program: A Case Study of the Multi-Neighborhood Housing Task Force in Cincinnati, Ohio A thesis submitted to The University of Cincinnati in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF COMMUNITY PLANNING School of Planning College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning May 16, 2005 By Nikita M. Jones Bachelor of Science, Mass Communications, Miami University, 2003 Thesis Committee Chair: David Varady, Ph.D. Member: Tommie Thompson, M.C.P. Reader: Monica Richards, M.C.P. ABSTRACT The purpose of this thesis was to study the relationship of a community group, the Multi Neighborhood Housing Task Force (MNHTF) to two public housing agencies (PHA), Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority (CMHA) and Hamilton County Department of Community Development (HCDCD). The MNHTF is a Cincinnati housing coalition made up of approximately 10 community groups that work towards improving neighborhood standards and quality of life. Members of the coalition are especially concerned about the clustering of Section 8 Housing Choice voucher program recipients in MNHTF participant neighborhoods. The overarching goal of this study was to determine the extent to which the MNHTF has had an influence on CMHA and HCDCD. Although there has been considerable research on neighborhood opposition to subsidized housing, there has been little research on opposition to Section 8 housing vouchers. Informant interviews and field observation were used to assess the impact of the MNHTF. In fact the impact of the MNHTF on CMHA and HCDCD has been minimal. The clustering of Section 8 voucher residents in places like Price Hill and Westwood continues; the two agencies have little control on variables attracting clustering. Nevertheless, the MNHTF has attained some success (e.g. the Lease Option to Purchase Ordinance approved by Cincinnati City Council and CMHA’s suspension of a 10% incentive for property owners who rent single family houses to voucher recipients) due to the leadership of a state representative. Ways in which Community-PHA relations may be improved are discussed. 2 3 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First I thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for giving me the strength, courage and perseverance throughout the thesis process in seeing this work through to its completion. I also extend a thank you to all of my thesis committee members for their patience, willingness to guide me through conducting a thesis study and constant push for me to produce my best work. To Cincinnati’s Multi-Neighborhood Housing Task Force I thank you for your willingness to allow me to attend your meetings and use your community coalition as the focus group of my study. Additionally I thank the twelve interviewee participants that volunteered their time and opinions to make this study possible, your selfless act of kindness is appreciated. I say a special thank you to my mother who endlessly supports my goals and aspirations and I thank my aunt, Ruth Stepney who worked tirelessly in helping me make revisions. To the many family members and friends who are too numerous to name, I thank you for your assistance, support, and encouragement. This work is dedicated to my father Ronald L. Jones who knew of my intent to pursue graduate study but did not live to see the fruit of my pursuit. I also dedicate this work to Mckenzie Williams who represents future family generations. 4 TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................... 9 1.1 BACKGROUND ..........................................................................................................................................................9 1.2 PURPOSE OF STUDY................................................................................................................................................13 1.2.1 Research Questions........................................................................................................................................14 1.2.2 Limitations.....................................................................................................................................................15 1.3 IMPLICATIONS FOR THE SECTION 8 PROGRAM.....................................................................................................16 1.4 CHAPTER OUTLINE ................................................................................................................................................16 CHAPTER 2: METHODOLOGY ................................................................................... 17 2.1 HOW STUDY WAS CONDUCTED ..............................................................................................................................17 2.1.2 Questions Asked in Survey............................................................................................................................18 2.2 INTERVIEWS AND MEETINGS .................................................................................................................................19 2.2.1 Who was Interviewed and Why.....................................................................................................................20 2.2.2 How Interviews were Analyzed.....................................................................................................................21 CHAPTER 3: LITERATURE REVIEW......................................................................... 22 3.1 DECONCENTRATION OF POOR AND SECTION 8 PROGRAM....................................................................................22 3.1.2 The Moving to Opportunity Program ............................................................................................................25 3.1.3 Circumstances that Lead to Clustering ..........................................................................................................31 3.2 THE CHALLENGES OF DECONCENTRATION...........................................................................................................33 3.3 DECONCENTRATION ACHIEVED IN ALAMEDA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA ..................................................................36 3.4 CONFLICT BETWEEN DECONCENTRATION AND AFFORDABILITY.........................................................................37 3.5 COMMUNITY REACTIONS TO DECONCENTRATION ...............................................................................................38 3.5.1 Examples of Community Reactions to Assisted Housing Programs..............................................................40 3.5.2 Baltimore County...........................................................................................................................................42 3.6 CHAPTER CONCLUSION .........................................................................................................................................45 3.6.1 Hypothesis .....................................................................................................................................................46 CHAPTER 4: THE SECTION 8 PROGRAM IN CINCINNATI AND THE MNHTF ........ 47 4.1 OVERVIEW OF SECTION 8 PROGRAM AND ITS PURPOSE .......................................................................................47 4.1.1 Process for Acquiring a Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher ........................................................................49 4.1.2 Requirements Before a Unit may be Approved .............................................................................................50 4.1.3 Portability.......................................................................................................................................................51 4.2 RENT REASONABLENESS: A RESPONSIBILITY OF PUBLIC HOUSING AGENCIES ....................................................52 4.2.1 The Need for Rent Reasonableness ...............................................................................................................52 4.2.2 Rent Reasonableness in Cincinnati................................................................................................................53 5 4.3 THE SECTION 8 PROGRAM IN CINCINNATI............................................................................................................54 4.3.1 Section 8 Orientation in Cincinnati................................................................................................................58 4.4 WHERE CINCINNATI’S SECTION 8 RECIPIENTS ARE LOCATED .............................................................................60 4.5 CINCINNATI’S MULTI-NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING TASK FORCE...........................................................................62 4.5.1 Similarities of MNHTF Participant Neighborhoods ......................................................................................64 4.5.2 MNHTF Participant Neighborhoods that Appear on CMHA’s Listing of Properties Accepting Section 8................................................................................................................................................65