Making Home More than a Roof: Black Women’s Political Voice & Agency in the Housing Choice Voucher Program
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Description of Project:
This project explores the housing experiences of Black women using housing choice vouchers in the private rental market in Washtenaw County, Michigan. Through 20 in-depth interviews, the study seeks to understand the sources of support along with the individual and collective strategies that Black women use to obtain fair, affordable, and decent housing in stratified private housing markets. More broadly, this project seeks to uncover the impact that the federal Housing Choice Voucher Program has on the political voice and empowerment of Black women, shedding light on the relationship between housing and political action/inaction.
Description of Work:
Research assistants will primarily be involved in two tasks. (1) Transcribing interview transcripts of approximately 20 Black women participants. (2) Conducting literature reviews by identifying, analyzing, and summarizing literature on U.S. housing policy for low-income renters, low-income Black women living in suburbs, and the individual and collective survival strategies of Black women facing state, institutional, and interpersonal violence. All meetings and work are conducted remotely.
Supervising Faculty Member: Karyn Lacy
Graduate Student: Marnay Avant
Contact Information: [email protected]
Average Hours Per Week: 6-12 hours
Range of Credits Students Can Earn: 2-4
Number of Positions Available: 1-2
