Good Intentions, Unintended Consequences

Abstract

In this article, we assess the impact of the Adker consent decree, a federal desegregation agreement implemented since 1999. It requires that Miami-Dade County public-housing offers be initially made on the basis of race and that half of the eligible turnover of Section 8 vouchers be given to former or current Black public-housing residents. Although well intentioned, the decree has had unintended consequences. The decree had mixed impact on desegregating public housing; it increased public-housing vacancy; it achieved modest desegregation among Section 8 voucher recipients; and it added considerable costs to the housing agency's operations.