Urban Studies PhD Candidate Tathagato Chakraborty is a recipient of the UWM Graduate School Distinguished Dissertation Fellowship

About his research:

My dissertation research examines the effectiveness of federal housing policy in deconcentrating poverty and providing access to affordable housing in high-opportunity neighborhoods of metropolitan America for low-income households. Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC), as a policy, has arguably led to poverty concentration, especially for the inner-city minority communities in the US. Previous research has established a strong connection between poverty concentration, negative neighborhood effects, and reduced chances of upward mobility. My research examines if states have prioritized the poverty deconcentration goals as stated in the Qualified Allocation Plan (QAP), a guiding document to award tax-credits, to effectively reduce poverty concentration. Did the plan enable low-income families to access affordable housing in high-opportunity, low-poverty neighborhoods, thereby increasing the chances of those families in accessing better community resources in high-opportunity neighborhoods, building strong social capital, achieving upward mobility, escaping poverty, and ultimately resulting into a greater economic and racial/residential integration at large? In this national-level study, using mixed methods, I aim to explore the changes in the QAP priorities in poverty deconcentration goals and its concomitant impact on poverty rate and neighborhood opportunities across metropolitan US.