Transforming Lease-Purchase Housing Programs for Low Income Families: Towards Empowerment and Engagement

:To what extent should lease-purchase programs for low income families emphasize the importance of home ownership? This paper suggests that the traditional emphasis on homeownership as a criterion for stability and thriving families and communities may be misplaced when dealing with housing for disadvantaged populations. While there is little research on the lease-purchase approach to ownership, the literature on homeownership and the authors’ study suggest that low income families may benefit more from stable, long-term housing, whether owned or leased, that is situated within an active and supportive community network. Organizations that coordinate housing programs need to develop effective administrative and property management practices so they can act as buffers between low income families and the market and become skilled at facilitating client involvement in program administration and the development of supportive community networks.