Housing Improvement and Crime

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Khalil, Umair; Sanfelice, Viviane
• 署名单位: Deakin University; Pennsylvania Commonwealth System of Higher Education (PCSHE); Temple University
• 刊物名称: JOURNAL OF PUBLIC ECONOMICS
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0047-2727
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jpubeco.2025.105316
• 发表日期: 2025
• 关键词: Building permit; foreclosure; mortgage; Property value; neighborhood

摘要

We evaluate a policy implemented in Chicago geared towards improving the private housing stock in distressed neighborhoods. First, the program successfully increased housing renovations and reduced foreclosures, demonstrating tangible housing improvements. Next, treated areas experienced significant reductions in burglaries and robberies, with adjacent neighborhoods also documenting similar decreases in crime. We do not find evidence that gentrification with displacement of incumbent residents is responsible for the positive impacts of the program. Our findings provide evidence of substantial neighborhood gains from low-cost, place-based housing interventions that prioritize the preservation of existing housing stock.