Abstract

While some studies have attempted to prove the existence of positive benefits associated with homeownership, the so-called “homeownership effect,” few studies have been able to isolate the impact of homeownership on low-income families from neighborhood effects. In a pilot study using survey data collected from applicants to the U.S.-based housing charity Habitat for Humanity, I employ a quasi-experimental design to compare changes in the lives of those who were selected into the Habitat for Humanity housing program to those who applied for housing but were denied. In addition, since the recipients of Habitat houses remain in the same general area as their original residence, this provides a unique opportunity for the comparison of treatment and control groups to examine the impact of homeownership apart from neighborhood effects. I find that, in comparison to denied applicants, Habitat homeowners report more positive changes in their overall life, economic situation, and their level of community involvement, but less evidence of reported improvements in their children’s educational outcomes.

摘要

虽然一些研究试图证明与房屋所有权相关的积极好处的存在，即所谓的“房屋所有权效应”，但很少有研究能够将房屋所有权对低收入家庭的影响与邻里效应区分开来。在一项使用从美国住房慈善机构仁人家园的申请人那里收集的调查数据进行的试点研究中，我采用了一种准实验设计来比较那些被选入仁人家园住房计划的人与申请者的生活变化住房但被拒绝。此外，由于居住房屋的接受者与他们的原始居住地保持在同一区域，这为比较处理组和对照组提供了一个独特的机会，以检查除了邻里效应之外的房屋所有权的影响。我发现，