{"title":"Driving restriction boundary and housing prices","authors":"Yichuan Zhang , Tianyun Zhu","doi":"10.1016/j.jhe.2025.102083","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jhe.2025.102083","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This paper investigates the boundary effect of a nonlocal-license-plate-based driving restriction policy on the housing market of Shenzhen, China. Combining the difference-in-differences framework with the boundary discontinuity design, we find that the driving restriction policy on average led to a 6.36% increase in the housing price of the restricted zone. We also find that after the driving restriction boundary was removed and expanded, the observed increase in the housing price disparity across the initial boundary diminished. This paper presents the first empirical evidence on the heterogeneous effect of a driving restriction on housing prices across the driving restriction boundary.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51490,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Housing Economics","volume":"69 ","pages":"Article 102083"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-07-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144680400","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Location, location, structure type: Rent divergence within neighborhoods","authors":"Brian Adams , Randal Verbrugge","doi":"10.1016/j.jhe.2025.102081","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jhe.2025.102081","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Housing rents are a large share of household budgets and make a large contribution to overall inflation. Hence rent measurement accuracy is necessary in these and other contexts. The location–location–location hypothesis suggests that rents within a neighborhood would grow at the same rate on average; prior research has both theoretically assumed, and empirically supported, this hypothesis. We show that, even within the same neighborhoods, rent inflation rates for different types of housing units often differ for years. Over the 2010s, apartment rents generally outpaced detached unit rents; this pattern reversed during the COVID-19 pandemic—providing nuance to prevailing narratives about the latter period, most of which are location-specific. These dynamics suggest that structural representativity is necessary for rent index accuracy and accurate inflation measurement. Even indexes based on careful geographical sampling, such as the United States Consumer Price Index’s (CPI’s) Owners’ Equivalent Rent component prior to 2023, may be biased by placing too much weight on apartment rents compared to detached unit rents. We demonstrate that this bias may be quite large, and offer recommendations — one of which was recently accepted by the CPI.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51490,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Housing Economics","volume":"69 ","pages":"Article 102081"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-07-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144655740","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The impact of mortgage rates on the housing market","authors":"Martin Časta","doi":"10.1016/j.jhe.2025.102079","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jhe.2025.102079","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>We analyze the relationship between mortgage rates and housing activity in the US, focusing on house prices. Employing impulse response functions (IRFs) and forecast variance ratios (FVRs), we address potential endogeneity concerns by instrumenting mortgage rates with changes in long-term yields. Our findings reveal a significant impact of mortgage rate changes on house prices, with the maximal implied long-run semi-elasticity being close to 10. The FVRs provide set-identified variance decomposition for the instrumented shock, suggesting that mortgage rate shocks explain 2%–25% of house price dynamics. The results also highlight substantial uncertainty, likely stemming from potential nonlinearities and regional factors influencing house price formation, which we further investigate. Additionally, we show that changes in mortgage rates significantly affect various dimensions of housing activity, including houses sold, construction, and building permits.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51490,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Housing Economics","volume":"69 ","pages":"Article 102079"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-07-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144588718","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Low-rise multifamily and housing supply: A case study of seattle","authors":"Tobias Peter , Edward Pinto , Joseph Tracy","doi":"10.1016/j.jhe.2025.102082","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jhe.2025.102082","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>We provide an in-depth case study of land use reforms in Seattle to highlight how redevelopment of aging single-family housing to townhomes can lead to a significant increase in market-rate housing that promotes affordability. The key is to allow market forces to use by-right zoning to drive small-scale development, when also supported by clear and simplified regulatory frameworks. We have dubbed this the Housing Abundance Success Sequence, which is supported by this study along with over two dozen others. In Seattle, we document that such policies lead to a sustained 2.5 % per year increase in the housing stock, with a range of about 1–2.5 % in other case studies. Importantly, this approach requires no government subsidies and leads to higher local tax revenues. Our findings underscore the potential of thoughtful land use reforms to create more inclusive, affordable, and resilient housing markets, while also demonstrating that inclusionary zoning mandates do not work and can stop market-rate developers in their tracks.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51490,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Housing Economics","volume":"69 ","pages":"Article 102082"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144517357","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Jing Xue , Zhenzhen Liu , Jian Tong , Chengxuan Li
{"title":"Equity of educational outcomes and families’ school choices preferences: Evidence from education reform in China","authors":"Jing Xue , Zhenzhen Liu , Jian Tong , Chengxuan Li","doi":"10.1016/j.jhe.2025.102080","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jhe.2025.102080","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Integrating equity of outcomes into China’s basic education equalization reform marks a significant step toward addressing the shortage of high-quality educational resources and spatial disparities in educational access. This paper develops a school choice model incorporating the quota allocation policy, and analyzes its impact on school choices and school district housing prices. Using a generalized difference-in-difference framework, we assess the impact of equity-of-outcomes policy in Shanghai, China. The empirical findings reveal that school district housing prices in Shanghai decline by 0.0466 % on average following the implementation of the quota allocation policy. Furthermore, families prioritize the competitive advantages of allocated quotas and minimum scores when making school choices. Additionally, the policy impact varies across income groups, with middle- and low-income households exhibiting greater responsiveness due to increased flexibility in school selection. By shifting parental preferences away from exclusive competition for elite junior high schools, the equity-of-outcomes reform fosters a more balanced distribution of student composition, ultimately enhancing educational quality and equity.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51490,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Housing Economics","volume":"69 ","pages":"Article 102080"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144329806","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Noah J. Durst , Elise Breshears , Esther Sullivan , Danna Gutierrez Lanza
{"title":"Density zoning, neighborhood type, and exclusion by income and race","authors":"Noah J. Durst , Elise Breshears , Esther Sullivan , Danna Gutierrez Lanza","doi":"10.1016/j.jhe.2025.102065","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jhe.2025.102065","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In recent years, states and municipalities have taken steps to reform land use and zoning regulations. While prior research documents that density zoning contributes to residential segregation on the basis of income and race, the mechanisms remain largely unexplored. In this paper, we examine the relationship between density zoning, neighborhood type, and residential segregation. To do so, we use a national dataset of building footprints and machine learning to develop a neighborhood typology based on building characteristics. We then use land cover data to examine changes in building development in these neighborhoods between 2001 and 2019. Finally, we pair these data with demographics at the municipality level to examine changes in income and race between 2000 and 2020. In cross-sectional analyses, we find that density zoning is strongly associated with building characteristics and the presence of different neighborhood types. Although we find that density zoning is also associated with income and race, the effects are attenuated when accounting for neighborhood types. Our results provide new evidence into the ”chain of exclusion” between density zoning and residential segregation, as we find that density zoning is primarily associated with reductions in the supply of single-family housing along the urban fringe. Lastly, we find that maximum density restrictions and changes in maximum density cannot explain the changes in demographics that we observe during this time period. We do, however, find some evidence of a relationship between changes in building development and changes in demographics. These results demonstrate the potential effects of upzoning policies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51490,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Housing Economics","volume":"68 ","pages":"Article 102065"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144178314","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"AC replacement: Heat of the moment or cool-headed choice?","authors":"Paul A. Brehm , Alecia Cassidy","doi":"10.1016/j.jhe.2025.102068","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jhe.2025.102068","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This paper investigates the determinants of households’ central air conditioner (AC) replacements, one of the larger energy using durable goods that households purchase. We do not find evidence that hot weather or high humidity significantly affect AC replacement rates. However, higher electricity prices and bills increase the likelihood of AC replacement. These findings suggest that clear financial motivators like price incentives could be an effective tool in policymakers’ climate change arsenal going forward.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51490,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Housing Economics","volume":"68 ","pages":"Article 102068"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-05-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143942858","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Marc-André Luik , Max Friedrich Steinhardt , Simon Voss
{"title":"Language proficiency and homeownership: Evidence from U.S. immigrants","authors":"Marc-André Luik , Max Friedrich Steinhardt , Simon Voss","doi":"10.1016/j.jhe.2025.102067","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jhe.2025.102067","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In this paper, we deliver the first causal evidence on the relationship between immigrant host-country language proficiency and homeownership. Using an instrumental variable strategy, we find a substantial positive impact of language skills on the propensity to own a home and the quality of housing among immigrants in the United States. While this effect is mediated by household income, our estimates also speak in favor of a direct language effect. Suggestive evidence further indicates that part of this effect may be driven by discrimination. Our results highlight the importance of host-country-specific human capital and, in particular, language proficiency for socio-economic assimilation in housing markets.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51490,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Housing Economics","volume":"68 ","pages":"Article 102067"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-05-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143935013","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Labor supply response to home value shocks: Evidence from Japan","authors":"Junya Hamaaki , Shinichiro Iwata","doi":"10.1016/j.jhe.2025.102069","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jhe.2025.102069","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This paper examines the extent to which the labor supply of homeowners aged 40 years or over responds to unanticipated shocks to home values in Japan. Our findings suggest that only older homeowners respond to home value shocks. While older women strive to remain in the labor force, they tend to reduce their hours worked. Specifically, we find that an unanticipated one standard deviation increase in home value leads to a 5.2% reduction in hours worked per week relative to their average. Among older men, a small proportion choose to exit the labor force, while others reduce their hours worked without leaving their job. Specifically, an unanticipated one standard deviation increase in home value leads to a decrease in the likelihood of labor force participation by 4.8% and a reduction in hours worked per week of 9.2%, both relative to their average. We also find that women respond to home value shocks at a younger age than men. Women decrease their hours worked per week from the age of 55, while men start to reduce theirs from the age of 65. The small and late response to a home value shock among older homeowners may reflect the peculiarities of Japan’s housing and labor markets.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51490,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Housing Economics","volume":"69 ","pages":"Article 102069"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-04-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144212889","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Promoting social housing : Insights from redevelopment policies in Paris","authors":"Lauriane Belloy, Fabien Candau","doi":"10.1016/j.jhe.2025.102061","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jhe.2025.102061","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The issue of income segregation plagues numerous cities, and in particular Paris which is studied here. To mitigate this problem, the local government has implemented redevelopment policies that increase incentives to convert offices and other commercial units into social housing in high-demand areas. We find that these policies have a negligible effect. Only the most restrictive legislation slightly stimulated the conversion of social housing in the city center; all subsequent policies had no effect.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51490,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Housing Economics","volume":"68 ","pages":"Article 102061"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-04-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143869408","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}