The CHA Mobility Counseling Program Administered by CHAC Encouraging moves to “opportunity neighborhoods” and helping families make informed choices

Program Overview Serves Housing Choice Voucher transfers (referred to as “second movers”) Income-based Opportunity Neighborhood defined as Low Poverty - less than 24% poverty rate Voluntary Focus on High to Low Poverty Moves

Program Components Landlord Outreach Assessment & Enrollment (including credit check & credit counseling) Fair Housing Training & Complaint Assistance Assist Participant to Remove Barriers / Prepare for Landlord Acceptance

Housing Search Assistance and Referrals (including transportation) Mandatory Workshops (Money Management & Tenant/Landlord Rights & Responsibilities) Voluntary Workshops Post-Move Counseling Link to Family Self-Sufficiency Program Resource Room Program Components - cont.

Additional Benefits Security Deposit Loan Fund Services for People with Disabilities –Transportation for Housing Search –Grants for Unit Modifications

Families Served January 1999 through June 2002 –Enrolled 7,540 families –Leased 3,724 Leased in Low Poverty 2,388 (64 %) Moves from High to Low Poverty 1,215 (33 %)

Moves From High to Low Poverty

Retention - Year 2000 High to Low Poverty Movers

Does Mobility Counseling Make a Difference? Years 2000 and 2001 Percent of Counseled families that moved to low poverty: 52% Percent of families NOT counseled that moved to low poverty: 39%

Relocatees Making 2nd Moves 1,178 Relocatees made a “2nd Move” during (35%) of these families moved to Low Poverty neighborhoods.

When Relocatees are Counseled Of Relocatee Second Movers, in 2000 and 2001: 41% of Counseled Families Moved to Low Poverty 31% of Families NOT Counseled Moved to Low Poverty

Challenges Census Data Focus on families living in high poverty Back-filling units in high poverty neighborhoods