Does reducing stigma increase the take-up of rental assistance?

Renters that received an informational postcard were 52% more likely to request an application for rental assistance and 24% more likely to submit an application than renters that did not receive a postcard.

Active

Since 2020

Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA

Renters that received an informational postcard were 52% more likely to request an application for rental assistance and 24% more likely to submit an application than renters that did not receive a postcard. The de-stigmatizing postcard increased application requests by an additional 18% and application submissions by an additional 11% compared to the information-only postcard, although these differences were not significant. We also find some evidence that the de-stigmatizing postcard was more effective at motivating applications from Black/African-American renters.