The Color of Law

The Color of Law

by

Richard Rothstein

Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program Term Analysis

A federal program that gives low-income families vouchers to support their rent payments. Although the program remains very controversial, it is essentially the only large-scale housing support the federal government currently gives to low-income Americans, and Rothstein emphasizes that the program is far too small to reach the number of people who need and apply for assistance. Families who rent apartments using Section 8 vouchers face a number of problems: landlords can legally discriminate against them, for instance, and in almost all cases Section 8 vouchers do not provide families with enough funds to rent in middle-class or integrated neighborhoods, which Rothstein argues is crucial to achieve housing justice and desegregate American cities over the long term.
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Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program Term Timeline in The Color of Law

The timeline below shows where the term Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program appears in The Color of Law. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 11: Looking Forward, Looking Back
De Jure vs. De Facto Segregation Theme Icon
Separation of Powers, Legal Activism, and Minority Rights Theme Icon
...construct housing for low-income families, but they nearly always do so in already-segregated neighborhoods. Similarly, Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers are insufficient to cover residents’ costs in anywhere but the poorest neighborhoods.... (full context)
Chapter 12: Considering Fixes
Separation of Powers, Legal Activism, and Minority Rights Theme Icon
...pushed for integration. After losing a lawsuit, Baltimore’s local government started giving a comparatively higher Section 8 subsidy to African American people who rent in integrated, middle-class neighborhoods, and it also provides... (full context)
Segregation and the Preservation of Racial Caste Theme Icon
Racism, Profit, and Political Gain Theme Icon
Separation of Powers, Legal Activism, and Minority Rights Theme Icon
...should follow some model cities and states that ban landlords from discriminating against families with Section 8 vouchers. He also notes that only a small portion of the people who qualify for... (full context)