New Study Shows that Residents Benefit from Living in Housing Credit Properties

A new analysis by the Terner Center for Housing Innovation at UC Berkeley looks at how living in Housing Credit properties benefits low-income residents, particularly with regard to housing stability, economic mobility and access to education. The analysis, which is based on interviews and surveys with over 250 residents in 18 properties across California, shows that one in five of those surveyed reported that they had experienced homelessness before moving into their current Housing Credit unit, and 20 percent stated that they had been forced to move involuntarily — either as the result of an eviction or rent increase. It also points out that the majority of working-age residents were employed, although many of their jobs lacked good wages, benefits and opportunities for advancement. Finally, the analysis notes that siting Housing Credit properties in low-poverty neighborhoods is insufficient on its own to expand opportunity for low-income, working families, explaining that in spite of the positive findings, broader housing market and labor conditions are likely to keep most residents in subsidized properties for the foreseeable future.