A glass half empty? New evidence from the HOPE VI Panel Study

The Chicago Housing Authority is midway through its ambitious Plan for Transformation. This paper presents new evidence about how residents have fared since the transformation began. Questions remain about where they are living, the circumstances of their new housing, and how relocation has affected their overall well-being. This paper presents new evidence on resident outcomes from the HOPE VI Panel Study, a national study that includes Chicago. The findings show that those residents who received vouchers are living in better housing in dramatically safer neighborhoods; many report improved mental health; and their children are having fewer behavior problems. But there are also very real reasons for concern. Voucher holders are experiencing economic hardship that may place them at risk for housing instability and the most troubled families are at risk for being left behind in traditional public housing, little better off than they were when the Plan began.