re: What would the homeless rate be if America did not have section8?

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I guess I'll broaden my question then and ask how much higher the homeless rate would be if government in general wasn;t involved in helping people pay rent.

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Difficult to say. Those programs drive up housing costs and make housing less affordable.

So it could be the case that Section 8 tenants would otherwise be homeless. But it might also be the case that the Section 8 tenant's share of the bill is what the market price would be without government intervention. In the latter case, the government is driving up the cost, paying the difference, and effectively giving a gift to the slumlord.