UCLA Housing Voice Encore Episode: Housing Vouchers with Rob Collinson
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Jul 16, 2025 
Rob Collinson, an Assistant Professor of Economics at the University of Notre Dame, dives into the complexities of the Housing Choice Voucher program. He discusses the gap between eligible households and those receiving assistance, advocating for reforms to maximize its impact. The conversation explores how housing voucher design influences rent and neighborhood quality, with insights into the challenges landlords face and the critical need for effective tenant counseling. Collinson also sheds light on the implications of recent policy shifts on opportunity for low-income families.
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Voucher Program Basics and Shift
- The Housing Choice Voucher Program aids over 2.5 million extremely low-income households with rental subsidies.
- It shifted housing assistance from public housing to market-based vouchers to increase tenant choice and reduce concentrated poverty.
Why Economists Favor Vouchers
- Economists prefer vouchers because they provide more housing choice to tenants and avoid crowding out private market supply.
- Unlike supply-side subsidies, vouchers increase demand without causing significant displacement of existing housing.
Voucher Design Matters Deeply
- Voucher program design critically affects tenants' access to better neighborhoods and how much landlords capture subsidy benefits.
- Landlords may price discriminate voucher holders, influencing who can rent and at what cost.