Study: Children Benefit From Public Housing

New research challenges prevailing wisdom on the best kind of housing assistance.

1 minute read

October 31, 2016, 8:00 AM PDT

By Elana Eden


Section 8 Kids

Beth Rankin / Flickr

Children who spend time in public housing grow up to earn hundreds of dollars more annually than they would have without that aid, new research shows. They are also less likely to be incarcerated.

These are key findings from a new report by the National Bureau of Economic Research that compared results for children in public housing to those living in private housing, both with and without Section 8 vouchers.

The theory is that lifting the stress and labor of meeting private rents from parents allows them to devote more time and attention to their children.

In American politics, prevailing wisdom is to encourage families to move out of public housing and onto Section 8 vouchers, which are used in private buildings. This study didn't find evidence that vouchers are a better solution for children. Prior studies have found they can be, if they allow families to move to neighborhoods with more resources.

The degree to which children benefitted from both forms of housing aid had definite demographic dimensions, the Washington Post reports. Black and Latina girls appeared to benefit most; black boys in the "very poorest" housing projects didn’t appear to benefit at all:

It could be that the familiar critique of public housing — that it concentrates disadvantages geographically, making them more difficult to overcome — is accurate for black boys in the poorest housing developments.

Wednesday, October 12, 2016 in The Washington Post

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 9, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Map of Haussmann's redesign of Paris in the 1850s through 1870s under Napoleon III.

In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking

Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?

June 30, 2025 - Tom Sanchez

Green bike share bikes parked in a row on a commercial street with outdoor dining and greenery.

Making Shared Micromobility More Inclusive

Cities and shared mobility system operators can do more to include people with disabilities in planning and operations, per a new report.

45 minutes ago - Cities Today

View from inside car's driver seat while driving.

Car Designs Make it Harder to See Pedestrians

Blind spots created by thicker pillars built to withstand rollover crashes are creating dangerous conditions for people outside vehicles.

1 hour ago - Bloomberg CityLab

Red and white "Wildfire Evacuation Route" sign on signpost.

Cal Fire Chatbot Fails to Answer Basic Questions

An AI chatbot designed to provide information about wildfires can’t answer questions about evacuation orders, among other problems.

July 10 - The Markup

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.

Home and Land Services Coordinator

Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners

Associate/Senior Planner

Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development

Senior Planner

Heyer Gruel & Associates PA