Rental assistance in America

There are multiple programs for rental assistance in America.

• Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers: Low-income families use a voucher to pay for rent on the private market. The voucher allows for the family to pay only 30% of their income towards rent and the government pays the rest.
• Section 8 Project-Based Vouchers: Low-income families pay 30% of their income to rent in a specific building or property that the federal government has contracted with the owner to rent to low-income families.
• Public Housing: Low-income families pay 30% of their income to live in a building that is owned and operated by their local government.
• Rural Rental Assistance: Low-income families living in Rural Rental Housing or Farm Labor Housing can receive rental assistance from the USDA.
• Elderly and Disabled Assistance: Developments have been constructed exclusively for the elderly or disabled individuals, where the rent is low and/or tenants pay 30% of their income.

Why do our programs not cover everyone in need?

The answer is simple: rental assistance programs are underfunded. In the United States, we have programs called entitlement programs, which means the government fully funds the program so that every one that is eligible for the assistance is able to get it. Some examples are SNAP (food stamps), Pell Grants for college, Medicaid, and social security. Rental assistance is not an entitlement. Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers, the biggest rental assistance program, is funded much less than the entitlement programs in our country. This isn't to say that we should not fully fund entitlement programs, because we definitely should, but why do we not consider housing an entitlement?

A lack of stable housing affects every part of a family's life.

• Access to food and other basic necessities: Eviction and unstable housing make it harder for families to obtain food, clothing, and medicine. All of these necessities are vital for their health and wellbeing.
• Mental health: Research shows that unstable housing can cause depression in mothers who may feel intense stress and worry, but it also causes adverse physical and mental health effects for all members of the family.
• Employment opportunities: Unstable housing can cause people to be forced to move, causing job loss, especially among low-income workers. Dealing with unstable housing is also linked to lower productivity, and having a harder time finding a job in the first place.
• Educational success: Research shows that unstable housing is the most influential factor in predicting chronic absenteeism for children in school. It is also linked to lower scores on standardized tests, lower proficiency in reading and math, and lower graduation rates.

What is a universal housing program?

A universal housing program means that everyone who is in need of rental assistance gets it. Many countries in Europe have programs that provide housing or rental assistance to low-income households, including Finland, the United Kingdom, and France, and Germany.

What would that look like in the United States?

In the United States, the easiest way to implement universal housing would be by providing every eligible family a Section 8 Housing Voucher. This would make Section 8 an entitlement program, like SNAP or Pell Grant. Families could then take that voucher to the private market, find their own place to rent, and only pay 30% of their income for rent. The government would pay the other 70%. If the program ran like this, approximately 16 million more households would have access to affordable housing.

This may sound infeasible since there are a lot of people who qualify for Section 8 and it would cost a lot of money to provide them all with assistance. However, there is momentum for such a program in the United States. President Biden actually campaigned on expanding Section 8 Housing Vouchers to every eligible family. This is possible and America has the resources to provide affordable housing to all who need it.

How would we pay for it?

It would cost approximately $41 billion more dollars to give every eligible household a Housing Choice Voucher. While that is a lot of money, that would bring the cost of the program to be on par with how much we pay for SNAP to be an entitlement program. The United States has the resources to fully fund Housing Choice Vouchers by making reforms to the program to cut costs, such as changing the maximum rent landlords can charge, and using taxpayer funds. The cost of people living in poverty due to spending a lot of their income on rent is greater than the cost of the program. When people have more disposable income, the economy is better for all of us. Additionally, the United States provides a lot of monetary benefits for rich people, such as tax entitlements that give over $120,000 each to members of the top 1%. If the United States can afford these large tax entitlements for the rich, we have the ability to pay for affordable housing, we just need to make it a priority.

1. Call or email your representatives and urge them to support more funding for Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers.

Your representatives in the federal government have the power to increase funding to provide all eligible families with a housing voucher. It is their job to answer to you, their constituent, so if you want everyone to be able to have access to affordable housing, you should tell them!

Here is a sample script for you to use when contacting your representatives:

Dear Congressperson/Senator Last Name,

My name is Your Name, and I live in your district/state. I am writing/calling you today to urge you to support any legislation that increases funding for Section 8 Housing Vouchers. Only 24% of eligible people actually receive a housing voucher, and waitlists are years long. This leaves millions of families struggling to pay for a roof over their heads. Affordable housing is very important for one's health, and a lack of stable housing affects every part of someone's life. It is our duty to ensure that every American has the opportunity to access safe housing so that they can reach their full potential. I urge you to advocate for fully funding Section 8 Housing Vouchers to support everyone who is eligible and to help those in our community who are struggling the most.

Thank you for your time.

2. Connect with local renter's rights groups to see how you can assist low-income renters in your own community.

A renter's rights group organizes people together to fight for housing justice and to advocate for renters. Most cities should have a group like this that you can connect with to see how you can best support the movement for affordable housing in your community. This could be through mutual aid, attending eviction court, or helping to organize a protest. If you are a renter yourself, it is important for you to know your rights and how to protect yourself from injustice.

3. Spread the word about universal housing and urge your friends to advocate for low-income renters too.

A lot of people are unaware of how many people are struggling to pay rent and keep a roof over their heads. Now that you have learned about rental assistance and the possibility of a universal housing program, spread the word to your friends. Let them know that this is an issue they should care about, and show them this resource if they want to learn more! Urge them to contact their representatives and continue to spread the word to their friends too.