Improve Housing Choice Voucher Acceptance
At CPAL, we believe that families should have the choice to live affordably in areas that are best suited to their needs and equipped for upward economic mobility.
This includes access to “high opportunity” areas, neighborhoods with strong economic, environmental, and educational outcomes. Research shows that these neighborhoods can yield long-term benefits, particularly for young children.
Housing Choice Vouchers (HCVs) are an important financial tool to help low-income households access housing. Those that benefit most from vouchers are primarily women and BIPOC renters who live below the federal poverty threshold. Notably, only 7% of surveyed apartment complexes reported accepting vouchers, according to a survey by the Inclusive Communities Project across four North Texas counties in 2020.
To understand this disconnect and ways to improve voucher uptake, we have detailed: (1) the system, the relationships, and dynamics at play in the Dallas voucher ecosystem; (2) the hard problems that stymie voucher acceptance; (3) the opportunities and leverage points for design.
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Dallas must get every penny of federal infrastructure funds
CPAL leadership will guide a working group aiming to maximize Dallas’ share of available federal infrastructure dollars.
- Dallas is eligible for an estimated $4 billion in formula funds from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the CHIPS and Science Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act.
- The group will coordinate with officials to give voice to constituent concerns and leverage existing funds, with a goal to improve infrastructure across the city for future generations.
WIC Playbook
CPAL’s WIC playbook features prototypes designed to increase WIC benefit uptake in Dallas through human-centered design.
- The WIC program plays an important role in improving birth outcomes and containing health care costs. Every dollar spent on WIC leads to savings in health care costs from $1.77 to $3.13 within the first 60 days after birth.
- National data shows that in 2021, an average of 12.13 million moms, babies, and young children were eligible for WIC but only 51% actually participated.
Housing Stability for School Success Toolkit
This framework has been piloted with DISD since 2021-22 on two elementary campuses working with district administrators.
- This toolkit was designed to equip school district staff to implement family-centered interventions for families that may be at risk of or currently experiencing a housing-related issue.
- The toolkit includes open-source resources (e.g., family enrollment postcards) and data tools that can be adapted by local school districts and nonprofit organizations working with housing insecure families.