Homeownership, community interactions, and segregation

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Hoff, K; Sen, A
• 署名单位: The World Bank; Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi; Indian Institute of Management (IIM System); Indian Institute of Management Calcutta
• 刊物名称: AMERICAN ECONOMIC REVIEW
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0002-8282
• DOI: 10.1257/0002828054825682
• 发表日期: 2005
• 页码: 1167-1189
• 关键词: income-distribution; HOUSING TENURE; neighborhoods; QUALITY; IMPACT; crime; MODEL

摘要

We show that individuals with identical preferences and abilities can self-organize into communities with starkly different civic environments. Specifically, we consider a multi-community city where community quality depends upon residents' efforts to prevent crime, improve local governance, etc. Homeownership raises incentives for such civic efforts, but is beyond the reach of the poor. Within-community externalities lead to segregated cities: the rich reside in healthy homeowner communities, while the poor live in dysfunctional renter communities. Tenure segregation in the United States accords well with our prediction. We study alternative tax-subsidy policies to expand homeownership and to promote integration of homeowners and renters.