Comment on Emily Talen and Julia Koschinsky's “Is subsidized housing in sustainable neighborhoods? Evidence from Chicago”

Until now, the literature on sustainability and housing has paid little attention to low-income or to subsidized housing. In examining the sustainability of subsidized housing in Chicago, Talen and Koschinsky make an important contribution to the literature. Drawing on several data sets, they explore the extent to which housing subsidized in Chicago under a variety of programs is located in ``sustainable'' neighborhoods, neighborhoods that promote access, connectivity, safety, and diversity. Like many pathbreaking studies, Talen and Koschinsky's work raises many questions. I will focus on three. First, had the study focused on the greater metropolitan area rather than the city of Chicago, subsidized housing would appear significantly more sustainable. Second, while the limited geographic scope of the city probably caused subsidized housing to appear less sustainable than it is, some of the criteria used to define sustainability may not be valid or appropriate in some urban settings. As a result the study may exaggerate certain aspects of sustainability. Finally, notwithstanding my concerns about their accuracy, the findings could be used to justify exclusionary housing policies.