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Rethinking the Federal Bias Toward Homeownership

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  • Glaeser, Edward Ludwig

Abstract

The most fundamental fact about rental housing in the United States is that rental units are overwhelmingly in multifamily structures. This fact surely reflects the agency problems associated with renting single-family dwellings, and it should influence all discussions of rental housing policy. Policies that encourage homeowning are implicitly encouraging people to move away from higher density living; policies that discourage renting are implicitly discouraging multifamily buildings. Two major distortions shape the rental housing market, both of which are created by the public sector. Federal pro-homeownership policies, such as the home mortgage interest deduction, weaken the rental market and the cities where rental markets thrive. Local policies that discourage tall buildings likewise ensure that Americans have fewer rental options. The economic vitality of cities and the environmental consequences of large suburban homes with long commutes both support arguments for reducing these distortions.

Suggested Citation

  • Glaeser, Edward Ludwig, 2011. "Rethinking the Federal Bias Toward Homeownership," Scholarly Articles 8052149, Harvard Kennedy School of Government.
  • Handle: RePEc:hrv:hksfac:8052149
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Blog mentions

    As found by EconAcademics.org, the blog aggregator for Economics research:
    1. Skyscrapers and Cities: A Q&A Interview with Edward Glaeser (Part II)
      by Jason Barr in Skynomics Blog on 2018-09-12 12:11:41

    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Alexander Daminger & Kristof Dascher, 2020. "City Skew and Homeowner Subsidy Removal," Working Papers 195, Bavarian Graduate Program in Economics (BGPE).
    2. Kulkarni, Nirupama & Malmendier, Ulrike, 2022. "Homeownership segregation," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 129(C), pages 123-149.
    3. Schünemann, Johannes & Trimborn, Timo, 2023. "Boosting taxes for boasting about houses? Status concerns in the housing market," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 205(C), pages 120-143.
    4. Andrew McMillan & Sugie Lee, 2017. "Smart growth characteristics and the spatial pattern of multifamily housing in US metropolitan areas," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 54(15), pages 3500-3523, November.
    5. Dawkins, Casey J., 2023. "The geography of US homeownership tax expenditures," Journal of Housing Economics, Elsevier, vol. 59(PA).
    6. Oliver W. Lerbs, 2014. "House prices, housing development costs, and the supply of new single-family housing in German counties and cities," Journal of Property Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 31(3), pages 183-210, September.
    7. Florian Oswald, 2015. "Regional Shocks, Migration and Homeownership," Sciences Po publications info:hdl:2441/n1d9kd7k48k, Sciences Po.
    8. Ferriere, Axelle, 2020. "Comments on “Capital income taxation with housing”," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 115(C).
    9. Alexander Daminger & Kristof Dascher, 2023. "Homeowner Subsidy Repeal and Housing Recentralization," Land Economics, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 99(2), pages 283-301.
    10. repec:hal:spmain:info:hdl:2441/n1d9kd7k48keoo4brb07foqbd is not listed on IDEAS
    11. Oliver Lerbs, "undated". "House Prices, Housing Development Costs, and the Supply of New Single-Family Housing in German Counties and Cities," Working Papers 201283, Institute of Spatial and Housing Economics, Munster Universitary.
    12. Florian Oswald, 2015. "Regional Shocks, Migration and Homeownership," 2015 Meeting Papers 759, Society for Economic Dynamics.
    13. Alexander Daminger, 2023. "Homeowner Subsidies and Suburban Living: Empirical Evidence from a Subsidy Repeal," FinanzArchiv: Public Finance Analysis, Mohr Siebeck, Tübingen, vol. 79(2), pages 111-145.
    14. Alexander Daminger, 2021. "Subsidies to Homeownership and Central City Rent," Working Papers 210, Bavarian Graduate Program in Economics (BGPE).
    15. Stefanie DeLuca & Philip M. E. Garboden & Peter Rosenblatt, 2013. "Segregating Shelter," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 647(1), pages 268-299, May.
    16. Kortelainen, Mika & Saarimaa, Tuukka, 2012. "Do homeowners benefit urban neighborhoods? evidence from housing prices," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 57923, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    17. Sylvain Chareyron & Tidiane Ly & Yohann Trouvé-Sargison, 2021. "Ownership incentives and housing affordability: Evidence from France," Erudite Working Paper 2021-03, Erudite.
    18. Lerbs, Oliver W., 2012. "House prices, housing development costs, and the supply of new single-family housing in German counties and cities," CAWM Discussion Papers 57, University of Münster, Münster Center for Economic Policy (MEP).
    19. Florian Oswald, 2015. "Regional Shocks, Migration and Homeownership," Working Papers hal-03459804, HAL.
    20. Konstantin A. Kholodilin & Andreas Mense, 2011. "Can Internet Ads Serve as an Indicator of Homeownership Rates?," Discussion Papers of DIW Berlin 1168, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.

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