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The Impact of Housing Vouchers on Crime in US Cities and Suburbs

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  • Michael C. Lens

Abstract

This paper tests the common belief that subsidised housing contributes to higher crime rates. To do this, panel data on over 200 US cities are used and fixed effects models are estimated to control for unobserved differences between cities that may affect both voucher use and crime. Additionally, models are estimated that focus on the suburbs, to see if the steady increase in vouchers there has had any effect on crime. In cities, it is found that vouchers have a weak, negative relationship with violent crime rates, although these estimates are not particularly robust. In suburban areas, there is no observed relationship between vouchers and crime, suggesting that controversies in those communities blaming voucher households for elevated crime rates are misguided.

Suggested Citation

  • Michael C. Lens, 2014. "The Impact of Housing Vouchers on Crime in US Cities and Suburbs," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 51(6), pages 1274-1289, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:urbstu:v:51:y:2014:i:6:p:1274-1289
    DOI: 10.1177/0042098013497407
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Freedman, Matthew & Owens, Emily G., 2011. "Low-income housing development and crime," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 70(2), pages 115-131.
    2. Ingrid Gould Ellen & Michael C. Lens & Katherine O'Regan, 2012. "American murder mystery revisited: do housing voucher households cause crime?," Housing Policy Debate, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 22(4), pages 551-572, April.
    3. Griliches, Zvi & Hausman, Jerry A., 1986. "Errors in variables in panel data," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 31(1), pages 93-118, February.
    4. Ellen, Ingrid Gould & O'Regan, Katherine, 2010. "Crime and urban flight revisited: The effect of the 1990s drop in crime on cities," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 68(3), pages 247-259, November.
    5. Levitt, Steven D, 1998. "Why Do Increased Arrest Rates Appear to Reduce Crime: Deterrence, Incapacitation, or Measurement Error?," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 36(3), pages 353-372, July.
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    1. Twinam, Tate, 2017. "Danger zone: Land use and the geography of neighborhood crime," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 100(C), pages 104-119.
    2. Ports, Katie A. & Rostad, Whitney L. & Luo, Feijun & Putnam, Michelle & Zurick, Elizabeth, 2018. "The impact of the low-income housing tax credit on children's health and wellbeing in Georgia," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 93(C), pages 390-396.

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