Lance Freeman
Columbia University
Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation

The research presented in this article uses event history methods to describe and explain the dynamics of housing assistance exits. The results show that a plurality of housing assistance spells ends within 5 years and a majority ends within 10 years. Being White, younger, and not disabled, not having children, and a higher vacancy rate in the local housing market were associated with shorter spells of housing assistance receipt. The results also suggest that life-cycle factors that predict residential mobility, in general, play an important role in determining exits from housing assistance. In addition, the availability of housing alternatives for low-income minorities would appear to be an important determinant of housing assistance exits. The results imply that, to the extent policymakers wish to shorten the durations of housing assistance spells, consideration will have to be given to the lack of suitable housing alternatives in addition to the traditional human capital approaches.

Does Housing Assistance Lead to Dependency? Evidence From HUD Administrative Data