Housing repair and improvement in response to a housing allowance program

James L. McDowell

Expert InsightsPublished 1978

Analyzes repairs made by homeowners and renters to qualify for housing allowances or voluntarily, after receiving payments. From January 1976 to June 1977, over 18,300 repairs were reported in the two sites (Brown County, Wisconsin, and St. Joseph County, Indiana). Tenants and landlords undertook many of the repairs to rented dwellings, whereas homeowners completed most of their own repairs. Funds for the repairs came from a variety of sources, but the median repair cash outlay to qualify a dwelling was around $10--not enough to constitute a financial burden to households desiring an allowance. Voluntary repairs often were contracted, at an average outlay of $77 for renters and $295 for homeowners; structural items were most frequently repaired voluntarily. In all, repairs have not overburdened the local home repair industries; it is hence unlikely that the allowance program will stimulate inflation in those industries.

Document Details

  • Copyright: RAND Corporation
  • Availability: Web Only
  • Year: 1978
  • Pages: 15
  • Document Number: P-6076

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McDowell, James L., Housing repair and improvement in response to a housing allowance program. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 1978. https://www.rand.org/pubs/papers/P6076.html.
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