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Long-term earnings and employment effects of housing voucher receipt

Author

Listed:
  • Carlson, Deven
  • Haveman, Robert
  • Kaplan, Tom
  • Wolfe, Barbara

Abstract

Using a propensity score matching approach coupled with difference-in-differences regression analysis, we estimate the effect of housing voucher receipt on the employment and earnings of a large longitudinal sample of low-income families for 6years following voucher receipt. Our results indicate that voucher receipt has little effect on employment, but a negative effect on earnings. The negative earnings effect is largest in the years immediately following initial receipt, and fades out over time. In addition, we find that the pattern of recipient earnings responses to voucher receipt differs substantially across demographic subgroups. Several robustness tests are run to support the reliability of our findings. We discuss the implications of our findings for research and policy.

Suggested Citation

  • Carlson, Deven & Haveman, Robert & Kaplan, Tom & Wolfe, Barbara, 2012. "Long-term earnings and employment effects of housing voucher receipt," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 71(1), pages 128-150.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:juecon:v:71:y:2012:i:1:p:128-150
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jue.2011.07.001
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    Cited by:

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    2. John C. Haltiwanger & Mark J. Kutzbach & Giordano Palloni & Henry O. Pollakowski & Matthew Staiger & Daniel H. Weinberg, 2020. "The Children of HOPE VI Demolitions: National Evidence on Labor Market Outcomes," Working Papers 20-39, Center for Economic Studies, U.S. Census Bureau.
    3. Fredrik Andersson & John C. Haltiwanger & Mark J. Kutzbach & Giordano Palloni & Henry O. Pollakowski & Daniel H. Weinberg, 2013. "Childhood Housing and Adult Earnings: A Between-Siblings Analysis of Housing Vouchers and Public Housing," Working Papers 13-48, Center for Economic Studies, U.S. Census Bureau.
    4. Christian A. L. Hilber & Olivier Schoni, 2022. "Housing policy and affordable housing," CEP Occasional Papers 56, Centre for Economic Performance, LSE.
    5. Geyer, Judy, 2017. "Housing demand and neighborhood choice with housing vouchers," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 99(C), pages 48-61.
    6. Stefanie DeLuca & Philip M. E. Garboden & Peter Rosenblatt, 2013. "Segregating Shelter," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 647(1), pages 268-299, May.
    7. Dauth, Wolfgang & Mense, Andreas & Wrede, Matthias, 2024. "Affordable Housing and Individual Labor Market Outcomes," IZA Discussion Papers 17359, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    8. Borbely, Daniel, 2022. "The impact of housing subsidy cuts on the labour market outcomes of claimants: Evidence from England," Journal of Housing Economics, Elsevier, vol. 57(C).
    9. Carlson, Deven & Haveman, Robert & Kaplan, Thomas & Wolfe, Barbara, 2012. "Long-term effects of public low-income housing vouchers on neighborhood quality and household composition," Journal of Housing Economics, Elsevier, vol. 21(2), pages 101-120.
    10. Matthias Wrede, 2024. "Housing Cooperatives, Housing Affordability, and Rent Control," CESifo Working Paper Series 11452, CESifo.
    11. Olsen, Edgar O. & Zabel, Jeffrey E., 2015. "US Housing Policy," Handbook of Regional and Urban Economics, in: Gilles Duranton & J. V. Henderson & William C. Strange (ed.), Handbook of Regional and Urban Economics, edition 1, volume 5, chapter 0, pages 887-986, Elsevier.
    12. Stephanie Moulton & Yung Chun & Stephanie Casey Pierce & Roberto Quercia & Sarah Riley & Holly Holtzen, 2022. "Does Temporary Mortgage Assistance for Unemployed Homeowners Reduce Longer‐Term Mortgage Default? An Analysis of the Hardest Hit Fund Program," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 41(2), pages 515-551, March.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Housing vouchers; Earnings; Employment; Matching;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I30 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - General
    • I38 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - Government Programs; Provision and Effects of Welfare Programs

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