Differential Attainment of Affordable Housing among America’s Ethnoracial Groups; 2005-2017

Abstract

Affordable housing is an under researched area of residential attainment despite is importance and the potential consequences of households spending too much on housing—such as forced moves and financial instability. This study analyzes disparities in attainment of affordable housing between white, black, Hispanic, and Asian households using 2005-2017 American Community Survey microdata linked to county-level ACS 5-year estimates. I test hypotheses regarding the overall disparities between ethnoracial groups, potential limited returns on socioeconomic status and acculturation characteristics for black, Hispanic, and Asian households relative to white households, and the positive effects of high coethnic populations within the county of residence. Results show there are significant gaps between whites and the other groups regarding their attainment of affordable housing throughout the study period. Differential returns on socioeconomic status are also present, with Hispanics and Asians receiving lesser returns on education relative to whites. Hispanics received significant benefits regarding immigrant status compared to other ethnoracial groups. When accounting for county-level ethnoracial composition there is clear evidence that black, Hispanic, and Asian households are more likely to benefit than white households if they live in a county with an increased coethnic population. However, all groups become less likely overall to live in affordable housing as a county’s percentage white decreases suggesting that ethnoracial composition affects both the overall attainment of affordable housing for all groups and the relative disparities between groups within counties.