This dissertation analyzes the role of public participation and the implementation of Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) funded developments in higher socio-economic communities. Using archival research, participant observation, and in-depth interviews, the dissertation examines the placement of North Court Villas, Frisco, Texas and 2640 Fountain View, Houston, Texas. The literature shows that the placement of LIHTC-funded developments continues to be distributed in low-income communities. Housing policies have not been able to resolve these imbalances, which has resulted in multiple court interventions. However, court rulings have not sufficiently addressed the aspects of public participation of these developments. Research shows that these developments are normally met in higher socio-economic communities with the same level of public resistance as any development associated with Not In MyBack Yard (NIMBY). Little is known about how local institutional actions on public participation have positively skewed the supply of LIHTC-funded developments in communities with higher economic opportunities. This dissertation uses archival research as an initial assessment to pinpoint the stakeholders who were actively engaged within the studied areas. Individual contact with stakeholders for an interview was initiated via e-mail, telephone, and various social media platforms. Following each interview, a snowball sampling took place where each participant was encouraged to refer other members within their community for an interview. 25 community stakeholders agreed to an in-person or virtual meeting. In addition, public hearings were used to corroborate and enhance the data was the collected from the interviews. The usage of three data collection methods resulted in the discovery of three themes: communication, space (location) and time. The data shows that the three themes serve as a crucial component to the way local stakeholders effectively utilize public participation to implement LIHTC-funded developments in higher socio-economic communities. Lastly, the themes show that greater public participation of residents in the decision-making process will lead to a greater probability of acceptance of LIHTC-funded development in higher socio-economic communities than in similar communities where public participation is minimal
