Abstract
This article describes a study undertaken to consider the factors of walkability, transit access, and traffic exposure for low-income residents living in subsidized housing. Within the context of smart growth development, the authors assessed the spatial distribution of subsidized housing units provided through 2 federally supported, low-income housing programs in Orange County, California: the Housing Choice Voucher Program and the Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program. They used data from multiple sources to examine land-use and health-related built environment factors and then evaluated the associations of those patterns with exposure to different traffic levels. Their results showed that subsidized projects or units in walkable, poorer neighborhoods were associated with lower traffic exposure; higher traffic exposure was associated with more transit service, a Hispanic majority, and mixed-use areas. They conclude that programs that adopt smart growth development goals can provide good access to amenities and encourage active travel and physical activity, and yet may not expose residents to higher traffic levels.