American Economic Journal:
Economic Policy
ISSN 1945-7731 (Print) | ISSN 1945-774X (Online)
The Vulnerability of Minority Homeowners in the Housing Boom and Bust
American Economic Journal: Economic Policy
vol. 8,
no. 1, February 2016
(pp. 1–27)
Abstract
This paper examines mortgage outcomes for a large sample of individual home purchases and refinances linked to credit scores in seven major US markets. Among those with similar credit scores and loan attributes, black and Hispanic homeowners had much higher rates of delinquency and default in the downturn. These estimated differences are especially pronounced for loans originated near the peak of the housing boom. These findings suggest that black and Hispanic homeowners drawn into the market near the peak were especially vulnerable to adverse economic shocks and raise concerns about homeownership as a mechanism for reducing racial disparities in wealth. (JEL D14, J15, R23, R31, R38)Citation
Bayer, Patrick, Fernando Ferreira, and Stephen L. Ross. 2016. "The Vulnerability of Minority Homeowners in the Housing Boom and Bust." American Economic Journal: Economic Policy 8 (1): 1–27. DOI: 10.1257/pol.20140074Additional Materials
JEL Classification
- D14 Household Saving; Personal Finance
- J15 Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination
- R23 Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics: Regional Migration; Regional Labor Markets; Population; Neighborhood Characteristics
- R31 Housing Supply and Markets
- R38 Production Analysis and Firm Location: Government Policy