Housing: Tenant-Based Rental Assistance Programs

Tenant-based rental assistance programs provide vouchers or direct cash assistance to allow low-income families more housing options than they could afford by themselves. This assistance is designed to allow families to move to safer neighborhoods.

Summary of Task Force Recommendations & Findings

The Community Preventive Services Task Force recommends tenant-based rental assistance programs on the basis of sufficient evidence of reductions in exposure to crimes against person and property and decreases in neighborhood social disorder. The Task Force was unable to determine the effectiveness of such programs on housing hazards, youth risk behaviors, and psychological and physical morbidity, because too few studies of adequate design and execution reported these outcomes.

Task Force Finding

 

Results from the Systematic Reviews

Twelve studies qualified for the review.

• Household victimization: median decrease of 6% (interquartile interval: -22% to 6%; 5 studies)
• Social disorder: median decrease of 15.5% (interquartile interval: -89% to 3%; 4 studies)
• The rental assistance programs reviewed were implemented in urban areas. Only low-income socioeconomic groups were represented, including White, Latino, and African-American populations. Effects were similar for all of these groups.

These findings were based on a systematic review of all available studies, conducted on behalf of the Task Force by a team of specialists in systematic review methods, and in research, practice and policy related to the social environment.

Supporting Materials

• Analytic framework [PDF - 2.90MB] - See Figure 2 on page 52
• Research gaps
• Summary evidence tables [PDF - 212KB]
• Included studies
• Search strategy

Publications

Anderson LM, Charles J, Fullilove MT, et al. Providing affordable family housing and reducing residential segregation by income: a systematic review. [PDF - 731KB] Am J Prev Med 2003;24(3S):S47-67.

Task Force on Community Preventive Services. Recommendations to promote healthy social environments. [PDF - 72KB] Am J Prev Med 2003;2003;24(3S):S21-4.

Task Force on Community Preventive Services. The social environment. [PDF - 386KB] In : Zaza S, Briss PA, Harris KW, eds. The Guide to Community Preventive Services: What Works to Promote Health? Atlanta (GA): Oxford University Press;2005:329-84.

More Community Guide publications about Promoting Health Through the Social Environment

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Sample Citation

The content of publications of the Guide to Community Preventive Services is in the public domain. Citation as to source, however, is appreciated. Sample citation: Guide to Community Preventive Services. Housing: tenant-based rental assistance programs. www.thecommunityguide.org/social/tenantrental.html. Last updated: MM/DD/YYYY.

Review completed: February 2001