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Housing Policy and Redistribution

Author

Listed:
  • Sanna Tenhunen
  • Matti Tuomala

    (School of Management, University of Tampere)

Abstract

The potential redistributive role of the housing subsidies has got a relatively little attention in the literature. However, non-linear housing subsidy schemes are commonly used by many countries. We consider the question of the optimal tax treatment of housing in a model where agents di¤er in two dimensions; ability and the housing price they face. The problem is also solved numerically. In addition to a general four-type model, we also considered two extensions: endogenously determined housing prices and paternalistic government. The key lesson from the paper is that when individuals differ also in access to housing, the housing subsidy schemes have a redistributive role and they are non-linear. A justification for subsidizing or taxing housing holds also without introducing any merit good argument to the analysis; in the optimal tax model where agents di¤er in their abilities and access to housing it is optimal to tax and subsidize housing, even with separable preferences.

Suggested Citation

  • Sanna Tenhunen & Matti Tuomala, 2007. "Housing Policy and Redistribution," Working Papers 0754, Tampere University, Faculty of Management and Business, Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:tam:wpaper:0754
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    File URL: http://urn.fi/urn:isbn:978-951-44-6940-4
    File Function: First version, 2007
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Housing subsidies; two-dimensional heterogeneity; optimal taxation;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H23 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Externalities; Redistributive Effects; Environmental Taxes and Subsidies
    • H24 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Personal Income and Other Nonbusiness Taxes and Subsidies
    • D62 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Externalities

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