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Report: Did Texas reduce government-funded segregation in tax credit housing?

(The opinions expressed in this article are those of the National Low Income Housing Information Service, not necessarily those of TAAHP or its members.) 
 

Texas Housers set out to definitely answer a question with serious implications for developers and fair housing advocates: Can policies addressing the disparate impact of housing locations actually reduce racial segregation and improve choice for families?

They have found that the answer is a definitive yes.

Their analysis shows that since the race-neutral Opportunity Index and Educational Excellence points were added to the QAP, more affordable housing choices have been built in areas with less poverty and racial concentration: 

–               From 2006 to 2012, 23 percent of awards went toward units with in Census tracts with a poverty rate of more than 40 percent.

–               Since 2013, only 6 percent of awards have been in such high-poverty tracts, while 33 percent have gone toward units in tracts where the poverty rate is less than 10 percent.

–               From 2006 to 2012, 68 percent of awards went toward units in tracts with African-American or Hispanic populations over the state average.

–               Since 2013, about half of awards have been in tracts with above-average white populations. 

The analysis also includes a breakdown of awards in the five largest metropolitan areas and five largest counties. Charlie plans to discuss the findings at the QAP roundtable tomorrow, but it seemed to me like something your readers would find informative (and perhaps controversial). Let me know if you’re interested in cross-posting and I will shoot it your way when it’s released (and also let me know if you’d like me to write a brief introduction, or just use what we post on our site). 

Read the full report:   Did Texas reduce government-funded segregation in tax credit housing?

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