The Housing Choice Voucher program is intended to provide new opportunities for low-income Americans to live in higher-priced neighborhoods, but few recipients of vouchers are taking full advantage of those opportunities.
A new report evaluates the effectiveness of the Housing Choice Voucher program in Harris County, home of Houston in Texas. An article promoting the new study explains the key findings:
This research finds that some voucher holders in Houston are indeed using the program to move into areas with higher incomes and likely higher opportunities. However, only 10% of voucher holders moved in the year of our analysis, meaning that the majority are not taking advantage of all the possibilities created by the voucher program.
John Park, a research fellow from the Kinder Institute, and Kyle Shelton, the Kinder Institute’s deputy director, authored the report. More information on the study's methodology and findings is available in an article published by Mirage News.
Read the full story: Housing Choice Voucher Mobility in Harris County
Troubled Houston housing agency announces plan to resolve 'material deficiencies'
The newly renamed Housing Alliance Houston has created a new accounting team and instituted new tenant file inspections, per a recent update required by HUD.
Multifamily construction in the Houston area grew by 4.2% last year, outpacing single-family builds
Harris County added over 30,000 new multifamily housing units in 2024.
HUD Plans to Bar Mixed-status Immigrant Households From Subsidized Housing
The proposed rule change would prevent people without legal status from living in households receiving federal housing assistance.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour
If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.
Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River
Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.
Chicago Avenue bridge construction delays enrages city leaders
The bridge has been closed since 2025. The city originally aimed to re-open it in December, and now expects to finish construction in 2027.
NYC bus network redesign speeds up Queens buses
Rush routes have seen a 4.6% speed increase after the redesign.
California High-Speed Rail Authority picks trainset manufacturer
The California High-Speed Rail Authority aims to start servicing passengers by 2033.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority