MDRC and its partners have been selected by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to launch a new demonstration project to test alternatives to the current rent structure in the Housing Choice Voucher program.

The current structure is comprised of income-based rent rules in which voucher holders pay 30 percent of their income in rent (with the government making up the balance); as their earnings rise, so does their rent. The purpose of the study is to determine if a new model can reduce administrative burden on Public Housing Agencies (PHAs), while also increasing employment among voucher holders. The demonstration will test whether these and other positive outcomes are achieved using a random assignment research design. Approximately 4,000 households living in approximately five PHAs will participate in the study.

MDRC's team for this study includes the Urban Institute, Quadel Consulting, the Bronner Group, Branch Associates, DIR, and consultants Ingrid Gould Ellen, John Goering, and John Wallace.