Housing Stability and Financial Well-Being

Session Submission Type: Panel

Abstract

This panel assembles four empirical studies examining distinct policy interventions aimed at enhancing housing stability and financial well-being for vulnerable populations. The panel includes a diverse range of policy strategies implemented in various urban contexts within the United States.

Lanjun Peng, Douglas Noonan, and Joanna Woronkowicz delve into the efficacy of guaranteed income programs by analyzing data from Creatives Rebuild New York (CRNY). Their study investigates how varying local housing costs impact spending behaviors of recipients, raising critical questions about the uniformity and targeted effectiveness of cash transfer initiatives.

Minji Cho, Yi Wang, and Lisa K. Bates evaluate the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (OERAP) in Oregon, focusing on its role in mitigating nonpayment evictions instigated by the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic. Their research analyzes the correlation between received assistance and eviction rates, distinguishing households that received funding, were declined, or did not apply, thus underlining the program's direct effect on preventing or diverting eviction cases.

Daisuke Nagase, alongside Simone Boyce and Morgan Reinhart, examines shared equity homeownership models within Habitat for Humanity affiliates. Their study assesses how these models influence wealth accumulation, financial health, and residential stability, comparing outcomes between homeowners in shared equity arrangements, those in fee-simple homes, and renters. This investigation highlights the long-term financial impacts of shared equity housing and the effectiveness in sustaining housing affordability.

Yi Wang, Caitlin McMurtry, and Hye-Sung Han focus on the Right to Counsel (RTC) program in Kansas City, Missouri. Their work employs an interrupted time series design to understand the impact of legally guaranteed tenant representation on eviction outcomes. Although their results show a substantial increase in legal representation, the corresponding effect on actual eviction and default rates is examined in light of additional tenant support mechanisms.

Collectively, this panel addresses pressing issues of housing affordability, financial stability, and eviction prevention through empirical analyses of distinct public policies. The findings offer nuanced insights into how localized economic pressures, emergency support programs, innovative homeownership models, and legal interventions intersect to shape housing and financial outcomes.

Policy Area

• Housing, Community Development, and Urban Policy

Chair

• Arthur Acolin, University of Washington

Discussants

• Timothy Andrew Thomas, University of California, Berkeley

• Kathryn M Leifheit, University of California - Los Angeles

Organizer

• Yi Wang, Washington University in St. Louis

Individual Presentations

• Can Guaranteed Income Keep Up with the Cost of Living: Evidence from New York City - Presenting Author: Lanjun Peng, Arizona State University

• Effectiveness of Emergency Rental Assistance in Eviction Prevention: Focusing on Nonpayment Evictions in Oregon - Presenting Author: Minji Cho, Portland State University

• Exploring Habitat’s Shared Equity Models: Assessing Impacts on Homeowners’ Financial Health - Presenting Author: Daisuke Nagase, Habitat for Humanity International

• Investigating the Impact of Kansas City’s Tenant Right to Counsel Program on Eviction Outcomes - Presenting Author: Yi Wang, Washington University in St. Louis; Non-Presenting Co-Author: Caitlin McMurtry, Harvard University