Voucher Holders in Chicago Region Segregated, Study Finds

Housing Choice Voucher households in the Chicago region continue to be economically and racially segregated, far from job rich, economically thriving parts of the region, according to a new study by the Chicago Area Fair Housing Alliance.  The study maps (as of June 30, 2003) the location of nearly 60,000 voucher households in the six-county metropolitan area, by race and ethnicity.

The high level of segregation persist in spite of nearly 132,000 units of affordable housing located throughout most of the six-county Chicago metropolitan area, including economically thriving, job-rich communities.  In fact, affordable housing was found in areas such as Naperville, Geneva, and even Chicago’s Lincoln Square, Lincoln Park, and Lakeview communities—though few voucher holders currently reside there.

Continued housing discrimination, historically reinforced class and race boundaries in the region, and not enough affordable housing overall were found to cause the isolation.

Over 75 percent of the African American households using vouchers were found to live in areas that are more than 30 percent African American. As well, over two-thirds of the Latino voucher households lived in neighborhoods over 30 percent Latino.  Latino households are under represented in the voucher program, especially in the suburbs.  Although Latino households represent 12 percent of households in the region, less than 2 percent participate in the voucher program.

To diminish the economic and racial segregation of Voucher households, the study makes several recommendations, including:

• Improve housing authority administration of the Voucher program and improved coordination between area housing authorities.
• Improve Voucher households housing opportunities through increased fair market rents, longer search periods for housing, mobility counseling, supportive services, and landlord outreach.
• Challenge all forms of housing discrimination, including passing an amendment to the Illinois Human Rights Act to designate source-of-income as a protected class.
• Increase outreach to Latino families and hire bilingual, bi-cultural staff.
• Expand the overall supply of affordable housing in the Chicago region.

The Chicago Area Fair Housing Alliance, an association of private fair housing organizations, governmental bodies, and other concerned groups (including the Shriver Center), works to create and support programs that further fair housing rights, develop strategies to increase racial and economic diversity, and combat all forms of discrimination.

For more information contact Kate Walz , 312-263-3830 ext. 232.