,,,The Impact of Supportive Housing on Surrounding Neighborhoods 

The Impact of Supportive Housing on Surrounding Neighborhoods 


 

Publication Date: October 2008

Publisher: Furman Center for Real Estate

Author(s): Vicki Been; Ingrid Gould Ellen; Michael Gedal; Ioan Voicu

Research Area: Social conditions

Keywords: neighborhoods; property values; supportive housing; Affordable Housing

Type: Working Paper

Abstract:

Communities across New York City and around the nation commonly oppose proposals to open supportive housing in their neighborhoods because of fear that the housing will decrease the quality of life in the neighborhood, and lead to reductions in property values. This study aims to give supportive housing providers and local government officials objective, credible information to guide policy decisions and to respond to opponents’ fears and arguments. Using a difference-in-difference regression model to isolate the effect of supportive housing from more general macro and micro market trends and neighborhood variations, this paper examines the impact that almost 7,500 units of supportive housing created in New York City over the past twenty years have had on their host neighborhoods over time.