(DRAFT: Do not cite or quote) America’s Housing Choice Voucher Program Shifts to the Suburbs, Recluster­ing or Dispersion? A Case Study of Cincinnati, Ohio, USA

Abstract

This paper updates an ongoing spatial study of the distribution of Housing Choice Vouchers (HCV) in Hamilton County, Ohio, conducted under the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Building on previous analyses of voucher holder location data for 2000 (Wang & Varady, 2005) and 2005 (Varady et al., 2010), the study replicates GIS hot spot methodology to assess changes in spatial concentration and dispersal of HCV households. In addition to county-level patterns, the paper highlights suburban hot spots previously identified in the Finnwytown school district and a cluster spanning Forest Park, Springfield Township, and Colerain Township. Findings suggest that while voucher holders are dispersing to more areas across the county, their distribution remains concentrated in relatively few locations both inside and outside the city. Results are based on density-based spatial analysis and a comparison of Census block groups versus tracts as units of measurement.