Description:

Title: "Creating Moves to Opportunity: Mixed Methods Evidence on Barriers to Neighborhood Choice"

By Stephanie DeLuca, Johns Hopkins University

Abstract: Low-income families often live in low-upward-mobility neighborhoods, even with housing vouchers. In this talk, Deluca will explore why by using a randomized trial with housing voucher recipients that provided information, financial support, and customized search assistance to move to high-opportunity neighborhoods. The treatment increased the fraction moving to high-upward-mobility areas from 15 to 53%. A second trial reveals this treatment effect is driven primarily by customized search assistance. Qualitative interviews show that the intervention relaxed bandwidth constraints and addressed family-specific needs. Her findings imply many low-income families do not have strong preferences to stay in low-opportunity areas and that barriers in housing search significantly increase residential segregation by income.

This event is part of the Fay Lomax Cook Spring 2025 Colloquium Series, where our researchers from around the University share their latest policy-relevant research.

Please note all colloquia this quarter will be held in-person only.