The Impact Of The Los Angeles Moving Opportunity Program On Residential Mobility, Neighborhood Characteristics, And Early Child And Parent Outcomes

This study provides an evaluation of the early impacts of the Los Angeles site of the Moving to Opportunity program (MTO). It finds that both MTO and Section 8 groups moved to neighborhoods with much higher socioeconomic levels than the Control group. While on average, MTO and Section 8 neighborhoods were often similar, the MTO group was both more likely to move to low-poverty neighborhoods (58% vs 1%) and more likely to remain in a high-poverty neighborhoods (32% vs 17%) than the Section 8 group. Both MTO and Section 8 groups achieved substantial reductions in neighborhood crime rates and substantial increases in perceived neighborhood safety levels relative to the Control group. In addition, parents in both treatment groups report increases in hours and earnings, increases in utilization of center based child care, and reductions in hospital emergency care. With respect to social capital the evidence is mixed. Parents in both treatment groups report reductions in church activity and are somewhat less likely to have friends and family in their neighborhood than the Control group. However, these parents are no less likely to be involved in their children’s activities, and their children are just as likely to have friends in the neighborhood.