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The long-term effects of public housing on self-sufficiency

Author

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  • Sandra J. Newman

    (Institute for Policy Studies, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore)

  • Joseph M. Harkness

    (Institute for Policy Studies, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore)

Abstract

Recent years have witnessed an intensification of the debate about the fundamental purpose of public assistance to the poor and the effects of these programs on children. This study uses enriched data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics to examine the effects of living in public housing as a child at some point between 1968 and 1982 on four young adult outcomes: welfare receipt; individual earnings; household earnings relative to the federal poverty line; and employment. Living in public housing during childhood increased employment, raised earnings, and reduced welfare use, but had no effect on household earnings relative to the poverty line. The beneficial effects could have arisen because public housing improved physical living conditions, reduced residential mobility, or enabled families to spend more of their income on items that benefit children's development. Whether these effects apply to contemporary public housing is unknown. © 2002 by the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management.

Suggested Citation

  • Sandra J. Newman & Joseph M. Harkness, 2002. "The long-term effects of public housing on self-sufficiency," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 21(1), pages 21-43.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:jpamgt:v:21:y:2002:i:1:p:21-43
    DOI: 10.1002/pam.1038
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Fredrik Andersson & John C. Haltiwanger & Mark J. Kutzbach & Giordano Palloni & Henry O. Pollakowski & Daniel H. Weinberg, 2013. "Childhood Housing and Adult Earnings: A Between-Siblings Analysis of Housing Vouchers and Public Housing," Working Papers 13-48, Center for Economic Studies, U.S. Census Bureau.
    2. Robert Collinson & Ingrid Gould Ellen & Jens Ludwig, 2015. "Low-Income Housing Policy," NBER Chapters, in: Economics of Means-Tested Transfer Programs in the United States, Volume 2, pages 59-126, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    3. Nicholas Chiumenti, 2019. "The growing shortage of affordable housing for the extremely low income in Massachusetts," New England Public Policy Center Policy Reports 19-1, Federal Reserve Bank of Boston.
    4. Almond, Douglas & Currie, Janet, 2011. "Human Capital Development before Age Five," Handbook of Labor Economics, in: O. Ashenfelter & D. Card (ed.), Handbook of Labor Economics, edition 1, volume 4, chapter 15, pages 1315-1486, Elsevier.
    5. Chen, Jie, 2006. "The Dynamics of Housing Allowance Claims in Sweden: A discrete-time hazard analysis," Working Paper Series 2006:1, Uppsala University, Department of Economics.
    6. Leventhal, Tama & Newman, Sandra, 2010. "Housing and child development," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 32(9), pages 1165-1174, September.
    7. Carlson, Deven & Miller, Hannah & Haveman, Robert & Kang, Sohyun & Schmidt, Alex & Wolfe, Barbara, 2019. "The effect of housing assistance on student achievement: Evidence from Wisconsin," Journal of Housing Economics, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 61-73.
    8. Gundersen, Craig & Weinreb, Linda & Wehler, Cheryl & Hosmer, David, 2003. "Homelessness and food insecurity," Journal of Housing Economics, Elsevier, vol. 12(3), pages 250-272, September.
    9. Goffette-Nagot, Florence & Sidibé, Modibo, 2016. "Housing wealth accumulation: The role of public housing," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 12-22.
    10. Yana Kucheva, 2014. "The Receipt of Subsidized Housing across Generations," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 33(6), pages 841-871, December.
    11. Laura Tach & Elizabeth Day, 2023. "Better Together? Multiplier and Spillover Effects in Two-Generation Initiatives," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 706(1), pages 193-223, March.
    12. Jose Rosero, 2012. "The ABC of Housing Strategies: Are Housing Assistance Programs Effective in Enhancing Children's Well Being?," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 12-074/3, Tinbergen Institute.
    13. Kull, Melissa A. & Coley, Rebekah Levine, 2014. "Housing costs and child functioning: Processes through investments and financial strains," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 39(C), pages 25-38.
    14. Yana Kucheva, 2018. "Subsidized Housing and the Transition to Adulthood," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 55(2), pages 617-642, April.
    15. Olsen, Edgar O. & Zabel, Jeffrey E., 2015. "US Housing Policy," Handbook of Regional and Urban Economics, in: Gilles Duranton & J. V. Henderson & William C. Strange (ed.), Handbook of Regional and Urban Economics, edition 1, volume 5, chapter 0, pages 887-986, Elsevier.
    16. Shroder, Mark, 2002. "Does housing assistance perversely affect self-sufficiency? A review essay," Journal of Housing Economics, Elsevier, vol. 11(4), pages 381-417, December.

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