Services for Families

Who will assist me through this process as a participating family?

Families selected to receive mobility-related services as part of the Community Choice Demonstration (CCD) Program work with a Mobility Coordinator who will support you in making a move to a designated Opportunity Area Address Locator Tool within the services areas of Metro HRA or Minneapolis Public Housing Authority (MPHA). Your Mobility Coordinator will meet with you to discuss your family’s housing and community needs, develop a family preparation plan, work with you to conduct your housing search, and assist you in contacting property owners.

What do I need to be eligible for the study?

  • Be a current Housing Choice Voucher holder at Metro HRA or MPHA

  • Have at least one child aged 17 and under (for current voucher holders)

A number of families from the waiting list will also be invited to apply to participate.

Is the demonstration right for me?

Families who are open to moving to an Opportunity Area and have time to receive services before moving (we recommend about 4 months prior to your expected move) are in the best position to benefit from the demonstration.

Interested in Enrolling?

RSVP to attend an upcoming info session by contacting Jinaa Lane at 612.342.2201 or communitychoice@mplspha.org . Attending an info session is the first step to enroll in the Community Choice Demonstration.

If I am interested in enrolling after I attend an info session, what happens next ?

  • After we finish the info session, we will determine if there are enough enrollment slots available for everyone to join the program.

  • If there are enough slots available, we will reach out to you with scheduling information for a 90-minute enrollment meeting.

  • If there are not enough slots available, we will randomly select individuals from the list of those who attended the information session and reach out to those selected with scheduling information for a 90-minute enrollment meeting. You will still be provided another opportunity to enroll within the year. Should you respond at that time, you will be able to attend an enrollment session.

  • During the meeting, you will be asked to answer some questions about yourself and your family such as the names and ages of the people living with you. MPHA will review a form with you that explains more about the study and the requirements if you decide to participate and ask you to indicate whether you consent to participate in the study.  You will also be asked to provide consent for the participation of at least one child aged 17 or under in the study.  If you agree to participate, you will be asked some additional questions about your child’s current school experiences, and your child’s health. You will also be asked to fill out a survey that will ask about your housing situation, your thoughts on moving, your education and employment status, and your health. You will receive a gift card for filling out the survey if you complete study enrollment.

  • If you choose to participate, you will be assigned to one of two groups. This assignment will be random, like pulling names from a hat, to make sure that each family that participates has an equal chance of being placed in either group. Groups will not be decided by any person, rather they will be randomly determined by a computer. The first group will be offered the usual services from the MPHA without any additional services. The second group will be offered a set of additional services that will assist them in searching for and moving to housing in specific areas of their choice, called Opportunity Areas.

  • You may be asked to participate in future surveys or interviews as researchers study the impacts of the services provided under the Community Choice Demonstration. Your participation in those future study activities is voluntary. You will continue to participate in the Community Choice Demonstration even if you decide not to participate in those future study activities.

  • To learn about the long-term effects of being offered these services and supports, researchers may collect data about you and your children from different sources for several years.

If I get chosen as a participating family, where can I live?

We can only provide CCD services to families for finding homes in designated Opportunity Areas which you can see in the Address Locator Tool, where children and families are expected to have the best opportunity to thrive. Opportunity Areas are neighborhoods that have historically been difficult for families with vouchers to move into because of systemic barriers, such as the cost of housing in these areas or a lack of eligible property owners that accept vouchers. Many families with vouchers want to move into Opportunity Areas because they offer high-quality schools and other public amenities.

What benefits do I receive as a participating family if I am selected to receive the additional services?

  • Pre-move support: Help with thinking through which neighborhoods are the best fit for you and your family. The program will also help you get ready to put in applications. That looks different for every family. It might mean attending one or more workshops or getting additional support from one of our partner agencies.

  • Housing search assistance: Help finding properties in Opportunity Areas and owners that are willing to participate in the program.

  • Move-related financial assistance: Help with paying the security deposit and some other move-related expenses.

  • Faster processing: Community Choice staff will help you and the property owner fill out the paperwork and efficiently process it with Metro HRA or MPHA.

  • Post-move support: Offered in the form of information and resources about your new neighborhood.

What will happen to my voucher if I do not want to move to an opportunity area?

If you are enrolled and are selected to receive these services, you will only be able to receive services for moves to an Opportunity Area. If you choose not to move to an Opportunity Area, your voucher will not be affected.

What if I already have a voucher but am interested in participating in the study?

Please contact Jinaa Lane at 612.342.2201 or communitychoice@mplspha.org . Met Council families interested in enrolling in the study, see here. Some families on the waitlist will also be invited to apply to participate in the Demonstration.

How will the information collected be used?

The study will allow for a better understanding of how to support families with a Housing Choice Voucher in finding housing in Opportunity Areas. Researchers will use information collected from the study to measure whether children in households that receive services and move to new neighborhoods do better in school and earn more money later in life. The study will also measure how well these services help adults in the household.