Homophobia and the home search: Rental market discrimination against same-sex couples in rural and urban housing markets

Abstract

Previous research has found discrimination against same-sex couples in the rental housing market. However, no studies have tested in rural markets, even though anti-LGBT attitudes may be more prevalent there due to conservative social norms and less frequent contact with LGBT people. I study whether the rate of discrimination against same-sex couples differs between rural and urban rental housing markets. I use a matched correspondence test design, sending email inquiries about the availability of rental homes to 445 landlords in 28 markets posing as either a same-sex or opposite-sex couple. Results compare rates of positive response between these groups, suggesting that landlords do not respond at substantially different rates to inquiries from same-sex or opposite-sex couples in rural or urban markets, nor do response rates differ between states with antidiscrimination ordinances and those without.

Audit Studies of Housing in the United States: Established, Emerging, and Future Research

“…Others have included signals for criminal record and health conditions (Henkels 2020). Finally, researchers examine targets of discrimination through a wider range of racial/ethnic (Carpusor and Loges 2006), gender, and sexual orientation (Hellyer 2021;Murchie and Pang 2018;Schwegman 2019) statuses. We recommend consulting numerous prior reviews for more details (Auspurg, Schneck, and Hinz 2019;Flage 2018;Gaddis 2018a;Riach and Rich 2002;Rich 2014;Quillian, Lee, and Honoré 2020).…”

Discrimination against gay and transgender people in Latin America: A correspondence study in the rental housing market

“…Assessing the extent of discrimination in the housing market is of particular interest not only because discrimination can be inherently unjust, but also because housing and neighborhoods are key determinants of individuals' opportunities (Chetty et al, 2016;Chetty and Hendren, 2018;Bergman et al, 2019;Chyn, 2018). Despite its relevance, causal evidence on discrimination against LGBTQ+ people in the housing market is restricted to a few countries in Europe and North America-e.g., Sweden (Ahmed and Ham-marstedt, 2008;, Germany (Mazziotta et al, 2015), Serbia (Koehler et al, 2018), Ireland (Ahuja and Lyons, 2019), Portugal (Gouveia et al, 2020), Canada (Lauster and Easterbrook, 2011), and the U.S. (Friedman et al, 2013;Levy et al, 2017;Murchie and Pang, 2018;Schwegman, 2018;Hellyer, 2021). This paper aims to reduce this lack of knowledge by assessing the extent of discrimination against homosexual and transgender individuals in the rental housing markets in four Latin American countries: Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.…”

Discrimination Against Gay and Transgender People in Latin America: A Correspondence Study in the Rental Housing Marke

“…1 Assessing the extent of discrimination in the housing market is of particular interest not only because discrimination can be inherently unjust, but also because housing and neighborhoods are key determinants of individuals' opportunities (Chetty et al, 2016;Chetty and Hendren, 2018;Bergman et al, 2019;Chyn, 2018). Despite its relevance, causal evidence on discrimination against LGBTQ+ people in the housing market is restricted to a few countries in Europe and North America-e.g., Sweden , Germany (Mazziotta et al, 2015), Serbia (Koehler et al, 2018), Ireland (Ahuja and Lyons, 2019), Portugal (Gouveia et al, 2020), Canada (Lauster and Easterbrook, 2011), and the United States (Friedman et al, 2013;Levy et al, 2017;Murchie and Pang, 2018;Schwegman, 2018;Hellyer, 2021). This paper aims to reduce this lack of knowledge by assessing the extent of discrimination against homosexual and transgender individuals in rental housing markets in four Latin American countries: Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.…”