Beyond Neighborhood Quality: The Role of Residential Instability, Employment Access, and Location Affordability in Shaping Work Outcomes for HOPE VI Participants

Abstract

This article examines the relationship between neighborhood quality, residential instability, employment access, location affordability, and work outcomes among individuals relocated as part of the Boulevard Homes HOPE VI redevelopment in Charlotte, North Carolina. We found that, contrary to expectations, relocation to private-market units with vouchers, as compared with public housing, did not always result in better neighborhood outcomes. Whereas voucher holders relocated to better quality neighborhoods, relocatees who moved to other public housing lived in neighborhoods with better employment access and lower costs. We also found a positive correlation between locational affordability (housing + transportation costs) and work outcomes.

Keywords:

• Public housing
• HOPE VI
• housing stability
• relocation

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank the Charlotte Housing Authority for providing funding for this project and granting permission for conducting the study. The staff of the Charlotte Housing Authority contributed immensely to the success of this project and we are grateful for their assistance. Research assistance was provided by Dr. Mary Donegan, Dr. Hye-Sung Han, Kirstin Frescoln, and Sydney Corn. We are also deeply appreciative of the residents of Boulevard Homes for participating in this project and for helping us to understand the impacts of the HOPE VI Program on their lives.