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Public housing provision and housing vacancies in Japan

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  • Xu, Hangtian
  • Zhou, Yiming

Abstract

Using detailed housing data for Japanese cities, we investigate the relationship between the intensity of public housing provision and the housing vacancy rate. Our empirical evidence suggests that they are positively correlated. This pattern is magnified across Japan's major cities, for which public housing construction is given higher priority. A preliminary mechanism analysis implies that this is partly caused by the rigidity of Japan's housing market, which makes the private-sector housing supply less responsive to demand changes.

Suggested Citation

  • Xu, Hangtian & Zhou, Yiming, 2019. "Public housing provision and housing vacancies in Japan," Journal of the Japanese and International Economies, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 1-1.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:jjieco:v:53:y:2019:i:c:9
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jjie.2019.101038
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    Cited by:

    1. Xu, Hangtian, 2020. "Land Price Fluctuations, Commercial-Residential Segregation, and Gentrification," MPRA Paper 98844, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    2. Ha Thi Khanh Van & Tran Vinh Ha & Takumi Asada & Mikiharu Arimura, 2022. "Vacancy Dwellings Spatial Distribution—The Determinants and Policy Implications in the City of Sapporo, Japan," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-26, September.
    3. Horioka, Charles Yuji & Niimi, Yoko, 2020. "Was the expansion of housing credit in Japan good or bad?," Japan and the World Economy, Elsevier, vol. 53(C).
    4. Schmutz, Benoît & Verdugo, Gregory, 2023. "Do elections affect immigration? Evidence from French municipalities," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 218(C).
    5. Kanayama, Yuki & Sadayuki, Taisuke, 2021. "What types of houses remain vacant? Evidence from a municipality in Tokyo, Japan," Journal of the Japanese and International Economies, Elsevier, vol. 62(C).
    6. Hangtian Xu, 2023. "Commercial‐to‐residential land‐use conversion and residential recentralization in large cities," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 56(1), pages 306-338, February.
    7. Wei Wang & Yuzhe Wu, 2020. "Exploring the Coordination Mechanism for Public Housing Supply with Urban Growth Management: A Case Study of Chongqing, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(10), pages 1-16, May.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Public housing; Housing vacancy rate; Housing policy; Japan;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I38 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - Government Programs; Provision and Effects of Welfare Programs
    • R31 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Real Estate Markets, Spatial Production Analysis, and Firm Location - - - Housing Supply and Markets
    • H23 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Externalities; Redistributive Effects; Environmental Taxes and Subsidies

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