The Economic Consequences of Homelessness in The US

Additional key findings concern which PHA characteristics are associated with targeted
PHA efforts to serve homeless households.
PHAs are more likely to make an effort to serve homeless households if the
PHAs are large (administering 5,000 or more units), are located in metropolitan
areas or areas with large numbers of people experiencing homelessness, have
statewide jurisdictions, or participate in other local efforts to address
homelessness, such as Continuums of Care (CoCs) — which are regional
entities established to identify and coordinate emergency, transitional, and
permanent housing services for people experiencing homelessness.
PHA administration of HUD McKinney-Vento homeless assistance programs —
Supportive Housing Program, Shelter Plus Care program, and Section 8 SRO
Moderate Rehabilitation program — was found to have a statistically significant
effect on the likelihood that a PHA would use a strong general preference. More
than half of PHAs that administer these programs make a special effort to serve
people experiencing homelessness.
PHAs that administer special-purpose vouchers (SPVs) for difficult-to-house
groups such as nonelderly disabled persons are more likely to make efforts to
serve people experiencing homelessness; 45 percent of PHAs administering
SPVs make some effort to serve people experiencing homelessness compared
with 20 percent of those that do not administer SPVs.
Only 17 percent of PHAs that do not administer HUD programs targeted at
homeless households make efforts to serve persons experiencing homelessness
in their HCV and public housing programs.
Small PHAs are less likely than larger ones to have established a limited
preference for homeless households or modified screening processes, but they
are just as likely as larger PHAs to use general preferences targeted to homeless
households.
It is more common for a limited preference for homeless households to be
established within both tenant-based and project-based voucher programs than
public housing programs.
Other factors, such as the culture of a PHA or the priorities of an executive director, may
also influence a PHA’s engagement with homeless households, but these factors are
difficult to measure. In addition, various real or perceived barriers may dissuade PHAs
from engaging in efforts to serve people experiencing homelessness. The most
common barrier cited by PHAs is concern that homeless applicants may be removed
from the waiting list because they lack a fixed address and cannot be found when the
PHA is ready to make an offer of assistance. Other barriers cited by PHAs include
homeless households lacking the necessary eligibility documentation, as well as
needing housing search or landlord assistance when using HCVs.
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