Who has Housing Affordability Problems? Disparities in Housing Cost Burden by Race, Nativity, and Legal Status in Los Angeles

Abstract

Housing costs are a substantial component of U.S. household expenditures. Those who allocate a large proportion of their income to housing often have to make difficult financial decisions with significant short-term and long-term implications for adults and children. This study employs cross-sectional data from the first wave of the Los Angeles Family and Neighborhood Survey (L.A.FANS) collected between 2000 and 2002 to examine the most common U.S. standard of housing affordability, the likelihood of spending thirty percent or more of income on shelter costs. Multivariate analyses of a low-income sample of U.S. born Latinos, Whites, African Americans, authorized Latino immigrants and unauthorized Latino immigrants focus on baseline and persistent differences in the likelihood of being cost burdened by race, nativity and legal status. Nearly half or more of each group of low-income respondents experience housing affordability problems. The results suggest that immigrants’ legal status is the primary source of disparities among those examined, with the multivariate analyses revealing large and persistent disparities for unauthorized Latino immigrants relative to most other groups. Moreover, the higher odds of housing cost burden observed for unauthorized immigrants compared with their authorized immigrant counterparts remains substantial, accounting for traditional indicators of immigrant assimilation. These results are consistent with emerging scholarship regarding the role of legal status in shaping immigrant outcomes in the United States.

Housing hardship and energy insecurity among native-born and immigrant low-income families with children in the United States

“…For instance, a New York City–based study showed that non-native-born renters suffer disproportionately high levels of rent burden as compared with native non-Hispanic white renters (Schill et al 1998). There is also evidence that immigration status may be a factor in rent burden, with undocumented immigrants being at greater risk than documented immigrants (McConnell 2013). These figures do not capture the added burden of relatively high utility costs in addition to the weight of housing costs.…”

Hurdles or walls? Nativity, citizenship, legal status and Latino homeownership in Los Angeles

“…Moreover, L.A.FANS data provides estimated profiles of the demographic characteristics of the unauthorized immigrants in Los Angeles that are similar to other estimates derived for Los Angeles (Bachmeier et al, 2014) and are generally representative of Los Angeles (Goldman et al, 2005;Clark and Ledwith, 2006). Many studies have employed L.A.FANS data to consider topics associated with immigrants' citizenship and legal status (e.g., Goldman et al, 2005;Cort, 2012;McConnell, 2013McConnell, , 2015.…”

“…Extensive research indicates that lacking legal status disadvantages unauthorized Latino immigrants in accessing employment-based benefits such as health insurance, post-baccalaureate educational opportunities, housing affordability, and other outcomes (e.g., Chavez, 1996;Marcelli, 2004;Goldman et al, 2005;Abrego, 2006;Hall et al, 2010;McConnell, 2013). Studies further document that unauthorized immigrants earn lower incomes than authorized immigrants (e.g., Rivera-Batiz, 1999;Bratsberg et al, 2002;Aguilera and Massey, 2003;Hall et al, 2010;Flippen, 2012).…”

“…Two census-tract level indicators are entered in the analyses: percent Latino and median home prices. Following previous analyses of L.A.FANS data (e.g., Frank and Bjornstrom, 2011;McConnell, 2013), both contextual variables are represented as location quotients (LQs) that measure relative concentration and range from 0 to more than 1. LQs compare the respondent's tract in 2000 to the average for all census tracts in Los Angeles County, according to 2000 census county-level data.…”

The (Un)Healthy Migrant Effect. The Role of Legal Status and Naturalization Timing

“…Legal status is for instance a large source of disparities in housing cost burden, with unauthorized immigrants being the most affected by housing affordability problems (McConnell 2013). The economic recession in recent years has also accelerated the restriction of universal rights for immigrants, particularly those who cannot comply with strict work and resident permit requirements, leading to a climate of anxiety among non-citizens and non-natives (Barbero 2015).…”