Public Housing Residents' Job-Seeking Behavior During and After the Pandemic

Session: Places to Live: Geographies of Homes and Housing
Type: Mixed Paper Session

Abstract

Prior to March 2020, public housing residents of INLIVIAN (formerly the Charlotte Housing Authority) were subject to a work requirement that mandated 20 hours per week of work. In that month, INLIVIAN suspended work requirement enforcement while maintaining on-site supportive services (like case managers) for residents.

This paper will present initial findings from an evaluation of INLIVIAN's work requirement by focusing job-seeking behavior among residents both before and during the pandemic.  It relies on both wage data as well as interviews with residents in Charlotte and a comparison group of public housing residents in Raleigh.

Key questions addressed include:

*Pre-pandemic, did the work requirement result in greater employment and wages in Charlotte relative to public housing residents in Raleigh?

*How has the pandemic impacted residents’ employment and job-seeking behavior, and what are the impacts of residents’ health, family composition, and participation in services on these behaviors?

Authors