Impact of Housing Vouchers on Social Service Usage, Health, and Well-Being

California currently faces a housing affordability crisis, with the rise in housing costs far outpacing increases in housing supply, and many families facing homelessness. This study will expand knowledge of the impact of the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program on individual outcomes in suburban and rural settings. To estimate the impact of the vouchers, the reserachers will leverage the random selection of HCV recipients through a lottery and linked administrative data from eight agencies providing services to low-income residents of Sonoma County. The study will consider whether securing housing increases or decreases reliance on other social support services, including understudied areas such as behavioral health, emergency health services, and criminal justice contacts, that have direct implications for future social and economic mobility, health, and well-being.