Rental Housing Assistance for the 21st Century

Brendan O’Flaherty, Columbia University

As with the articles in this issue, this introduction reflects the views of the authors and does not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Current rental housing assistance programs are not designed to provide a safety net for people whose lives are volatile, nor are they designed to encourage low-income people to live in good locations. These deficiencies can be corrected. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) should establish a program of rental insurance— like mortgage insurance, but for renters. Low-income housing assistance formulas should be revised to reward good neighborhood features, and punish bad.