The effectiveness of subsidized housing is being studied in Sonoma County. The California Policy Lab, a nonpartisan research institute, will study whether access to housing through the Housing Choice Voucher program, commonly known as Section 8 housing, increases or decreases reliance on other public services. Those services include behavioral and emergency health services, social safety net programs, and contact with the criminal justice system. The Press Democrat reports that the researchers will compare the information gathered from 500 randomly selected households who did receive a voucher to those who did not receive the voucher. Preliminary analysis is expected this summer while full results are expected to take a year.