Wait-List Deferred Residential Mobility
Low-income applicants on housing assistance wait-lists adjust the timing of their residential moves in anticipation of receiving a housing voucher.
Picture this
When a family knows a rental discount coupon may arrive in the near future, they stay in their current apartment longer than usual to avoid moving twice, delaying relocation until the voucher is issued.
What the evidence says
Applicants postponed moves during the wait-list period and increased moves after receiving a voucher offer, resulting in a statistically insignificant total address difference (0.036 ITT, p > 0.05).
- Who
- N = 4,187 households (10 percent random subsample of Chicago voucher applicants tracked via national change-of-address registries); Chicago, Illinois.
- How
- Panel event-study measuring residential move timing relative to the randomized voucher offer quarter.
What to do
Account for pre-offer mobility delays when analyzing applicant residential turnover and neighborhood stability metrics during housing program wait-list periods.
From the source
"Figure 3... makes clear that voucher offers change the timing of moves: treatment families who expect to receive a voucher are less likely to move than controls until they are offered a voucher and then become more likely to move."
The Effects of Housing Assistance on Labor Supply: Evidence from a Voucher Lottery
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