What Is the Impact of Low-Income Housing on Property Values?

Published July 25, 2023 | Take the quiz | Read the related article by A-Mark CEO Rob Eshman

I. Executive Summary

Some housing experts have noted that homeowners lobby for zoning laws that exclude affordable housing and high-density buildings to protect their property values. This, in turn, may lead to housing shortages as people struggle to find housing that costs less than 30% of their income, the maximum percentage recommended by the federal government.

California Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass have both spoken about the need for more affordable housing to address the housing crisis.

This report offers some background on federal housing assistance, public response to low-income housing, and California property values, along with a summary of studies on how low-income housing impacts property values.

Research studies into the impact of low-income housing on neighborhood property values have mostly concluded that there was either no impact or positive impacts on property values.

In studies in which results were mixed, some positive impacts on property values were found. Seven studies found that when low-income housing was built, property values in the neighborhoods increased.

Two studies concluded that low-income housing had negative effects on property values if built in affluent or higher-income areas but positive effects if built in areas with more lower-income residents or a lack of investment. Another study found the opposite.

II. Affordable / Low-Income Housing

In late September 2022, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a slate of legislation designed to tackle the housing shortage with housing units for low- and middle-income people.^[1]Office of Governor Gavin Newsom, “California to Build More Housing, Faster,” gov.ca.gov, September 28, 2022, https://www.gov.ca.gov/2022/09/28/california-to-build-more-housing-faster/

In January 2023, newly inaugurated Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass told the Los Angeles Times, “I think the most significant problem that the city faces is profound income inequality. The difference in how expensive it is to live in the city now. … In some areas, there’s a need for affordable housing, especially in areas that have traditionally been inner-city areas that are now being gentrified. People are being pushed out of their neighborhoods, and they don’t want to be.”^[2]Benjamin Oreskes and Liam Dillon, “Q&A: L.A. Mayor Karen Bass: ‘The City Is Demanding the Tents Go Away,'” Los Angeles Times, January 12, 2023, … Continue reading

On July 6, 2023, Bass signed into law an update to the city’s zoning code that exempts certain buildings containing affordable housing units from having to undergo a Site Plan Review. Prior to this amendment, any building of 50 housing units or more had to go through the Site Plan Review process which can lead to increased costs, delays in development, or the building of 49 unit buildings or less on sites that could house more. Bass’ amendment means that buildings of 50 units or more of affordable housing can bypass the Site Plan Review process, speeding up approvals of much needed affordable housing stock.^[3]Justin Mahramas and Kennedy Kline, “Los Angeles Mayor Signs New Legislation Exempting Affordable Housing Projects from Site Plan Review,” realestatelanduseandenvironmentallaw.com, July … Continue reading

The term “affordable housing” is often used colloquially “to refer to housing assistance for low-income individuals, including housing vouchers or housing designated for residents below a certain income for the area.”^[4]Devon Thorsby, “What Is Affordable Housing?,” realestate.usnews.com, September 13, 2022, https://realestate.usnews.com/real-estate/articles/what-is-affordable-housing Affordable housing can refer to rental properties or privately owned properties with mortgages. The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) specifies that affordable housing costs no more than 30 percent of the occupant’s gross income, including utilities.^[5]U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, “Glossary of Terms to Affordable Housing,” archives.hud.gov, accessed January 3, 2023, … Continue reading Statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau and compiled by the Pew Research Center showed that, in 2020, “46% of American renters spent 30% or more of their income on housing, including 23% who spent at least 50%.”^[6]Katherine Schaeffer, “Key Facts About Housing Affordability in the U.S,” pewresearch.org, March 23, 2022, … Continue reading This means that nearly half of U.S. renters are paying more for housing than what HUD considers affordable.

Households that make less than 80 percent of the median income in the surrounding area are defined as low-income. Discussions about low-income housing generally involve housing programs with federal funding, such as housing subsidies, public housing, and projects financed with tax credits.^[7]Dylan Jefferies, “Low-income Housing and Affordable Housing: What’s the Difference?,” The Columbian, October 3, 2022, … Continue reading

The Housing Act of 1937, established under President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal, marked the beginning of federal funding for low-income housing in the United States.^[8]National Low Income Housing Coalition, “Public Housing History,” nlihc.org, October 17, 2019, https://nlihc.org/resource/public-housing-history Approximately 5.2 million households received federal housing assistance in the United States in 2020.^[9]Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, “Federal Rental Assistance Fact Sheets,” cbpp.org, updated January 19, … Continue reading Public housing and Section 8 housing voucher programs are limited to low-income individuals and families whose incomes do not exceed 80% of the median income of the area in which they live, as well as very-low-income individuals and families whose incomes do not exceed 50% of the median income (for public housing) or 30% of the median income of the area in which they live or the federal poverty line, $30,000 for a family four in 2023, whichever is higher (for Section 8).^[10]US Department of Housing and Urban Development, “HUD’s Public Housing Program,” hud.gov, accessed January 3, 2023, https://www.hud.gov/topics/rental_assistance/phprog^[11]Local Housing Solutions, “Federal Programs for Affordable Housing,” localhousingsolutions.org, accessed January 3, 2023, … Continue reading^[12]ASPE, “HHS Poverty Guidelines for 2023,” aspe.hhs.gov, accessed January 16, 2023, https://aspe.hhs.gov/topics/poverty-economic-mobility/poverty-guidelines

The Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program, created in 1986, “is the largest source of new affordable housing in the United States,” according to the National Housing Law Project. The purpose of the tax credits is to incentivize developers to build more low-income housing.^[13]National Housing Law Project, “Low-Income Housing Tax Credits,” nhlp.org (accessed January 12, 2023), https://www.nhlp.org/resource-center/low-income-housing-tax-credits/ Several studies into the impact of affordable housing on property values looked at projects that were funded by LIHTC. An estimated two million housing units have been constructed or rehabilitated using LIHTC since the program began.^[14]Tax Policy Center, “What Is the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit and How Does It Work?,” taxpolicycenter.org, May 2020, … Continue reading

See Appendix I for more information about federal assistance programs and Appendix II for more information about local assistance programs in Southern California.

III. Public Opinion on Low-Income Housing

While many Americans might agree that more affordable housing is needed, wealthier neighborhoods often try to block the development of low-income housing with exclusionary zoning practices.^[15]Zack Subin, “Build Mixed-Income Housing in Wealthy Urban Neighborhoods,” RMI, June 29, 2021, … Continue reading^[16]Jacqueline Rabe Thomas, “Separated by Design: How Some of America’s Richest Towns Fight Affordable Housing,” ProPublica, May 22, 2019, … Continue reading This behavior is known as NIMBYism (Not in My Backyard), a term that refers to people who oppose the creation of affordable or low-income housing in their neighborhoods. Researchers from the University of Queensland noted that the term NIMBY dates back to the 1970s and often carries racist and classist connotations because people described as NIMBYs tend to be white with middle- or upper-class incomes.^[17]Georgina McNee and Dorina Pojani, “Nimbyism as a Barrier To Housing and Social Mix in San Francisco,” Nature Public Health Emergency Collection, May 26, 2021, … Continue reading

Former President Obama raised concerns at the 2022 American Institute of Architects conference, saying, “Frankly, some very well-intentioned laws and regulations at the local level, often generated from the left and from my own party, sometimes are inhibiting the creation of affordable housing and powering NIMBY attitudes and make it very difficult to integrate communities and allow people to live close to where they work.”^[18]Ben Dreith, “Sprawl in America ‘Is Not Good for Our Climate’ Says Barack Obama,” Dezeen, June 27, 2022, … Continue reading

Reasons for opposing low-income housing include fears about increased traffic and overcrowding in schools, lower tax revenues, the potential for more crime, and a negative impact on property values.^[19]Halina Szejnwald Brown, “How Newton Bridged the Housing Divide,” CommonWealth Magazine, May 9, 2020, https://commonwealthmagazine.org/housing/how-newton-bridged-the-housing-divide/^[20]John Eligon, “Residents Feared Low-Income Housing Would Ruin Their Suburb. It Didn’t.,” New York Times, November 5, 2020, … Continue reading Some housing experts theorize that homeowners lobby for zoning laws that prevent low-income housing in their neighborhoods to protect their property values, a practice that contributes to housing shortages.^[21]Notes, “Addressing Challenges to Affordable Housing in Land Use Law: Recognizing Affordable Housing as a Right,” Harvard Law Review, February 10, 2022, … Continue reading

Others note that resistance to affordable housing can be rooted in racism and perpetuate racial inequality. Rev. Eric Dobson, deputy director of Fair Share Housing Center, wrote, “When folks hear that affordable housing is coming, they immediately assume that low-income Black and Brown people without jobs will move into their neighborhoods and rising crime and falling property values will quickly follow.”^[22]Rev. Eric Dobson, “Understanding the Link Between Affordable Housing and Structural Racism,” Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, April 21, 2022, … Continue reading

In 2020, then-President Trump voiced opposition to low-income housing being built in suburban neighborhoods, saying that homeowners “don’t want to have people coming in and forcing low-income housing down their throats.”^[23]Reuters Staff, “Trump: ‘Suburban’ Americans Don’t Want Low-Income Housing Foisted on Them,” reuters.com, August 18, 2020, … Continue reading After ending an Obama-era rule intended to reduce racial segregation in communities, Trump tweeted, “I am happy to inform all of the people living their Suburban Lifestyle Dream that you will no longer be bothered or financially hurt by having low income housing built in your neighborhood… …Your housing prices will go up based on the market, and crime will go down.”^[24]Donald Trump, Twitter.com, July 29, 2020, https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1288509568578777088

That perspective has been echoed in cities across the country. For example, in New Berlin, a suburb of Milwaukee, residents fought against the construction of a 102-unit affordable housing project. After a legal battle, the property was built.^[25]John Eligon, “Residents Feared Low-Income Housing Would Ruin Their Suburb. It Didn’t.,” New York Times, November 5, 2020, … Continue reading Comedian Dave Chappelle was a vocal opponent to an affordable housing project in Yellow Springs, Ohio, that was ultimately shot down by the city council.^[26]Gita Jackson and Aaron Gordon, “Small Town Kills Affordable Housing Plan After Opposition From Dave Chappelle,” Vice, February 9, 2022, … Continue reading A proposal to create 518 affordable apartment units in Chandler, Arizona, was opposed by residents and elected officials for stated reasons including an increased burden on city services, inadequate parking, a rise in crime, traffic impact, and more.^[27]Jessica Boehm, “Chandler City Council and Residents Oppose Affordable Apartment Complex,” Axios, December 15, 2022, … Continue reading^[28]Voice of Chandler, “Project Background,” Voice of Chandler website (accessed January 13, 2023), https://sites.google.com/view/keepchandlersafe/project-background?authuser=0

Zoning laws often make it difficult to get approval for multi-family housing, but higher-density projects enable developers to sell at a lower per-unit cost, compared to single-family homes traditionally found in the suburbs.^[29]Mark Obrinsky and Debra Stein, “Overcoming Opposition to Multifamily Rental Housing,” Joint Center for Housing Studies Harvard University, March 2007, … Continue reading According to ProPublica, “more than three dozen Connecticut towns have blocked construction of any privately developed duplexes and apartments within their borders for the last two decades.”^[30]Jacqueline Rabe Thomas, “Separated by Design: How Some of America’s Richest Towns Fight Affordable Housing,” ProPublica, May 22, 2019, … Continue reading

One important question to consider is whether low-income housing actually lowers property values as many homeowners fear it will.

IV. Property Values in Southern California

According to data from the California Association of Realtors, the average median price of a detached home in California in 2022 was $828,047. In Southern California, the average median price was $792,853, and in LA County, $820,284. Over a five-year period from 2018 to 2022, the average median price of a detached home in California increased by 37.7%; in Southern California, it increased by 46.3%, and in LA County it increased by 43.3%.^[31]California Association of Realtors, “Historical Housing Data > Median Prices of Existing Single Family Homes,” car.org, accessed January 9, 2023, … Continue reading

In Venice, California, house values increased on average 17% a year between 2012 and 2019, “vastly outpacing growth in the rest of Los Angeles,” according to an article in the Wall Street Journal, referencing data from Zillow. This trend reversed in July 2020, “when price growth across Los Angeles began to outpace growth in Venice.”^[32]Katy McLaughlin, “The Venice Real-Estate Is Unstoppable No More,” wsj.com, March 4, 2021, https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-venice-real-estate-market-is-unstoppable-no-more-11614879936 According to data from the Zillow Home Value Index, in November 2022 the typical home value in Los Angeles was $949,927, representing a 3.3% increase over one year. As of June 30, 2023, the typical home value had dropped to $922,548, a 4.8% decrease over that period.^[33]Zillow Home Value Index, “Los Angeles Home Values,” zillow.com, November 30, 2022, https://www.zillow.com/home-values/12447/los-angeles-ca/^[34]Zillow Home Value Index, “Los Angeles Home Values,” zillow.com, June 30, 2023, https://www.zillow.com/home-values/12447/los-angeles-ca/ In Venice, the typical home value in November 2022 was $2,005,703, a 3.1% increase over one year. As of June 30, 2023, the typical value had dropped to $1,903,729, an 4.6% decrease.^[35]Zillow Home Value Index, “Venice Home Values,” zillow.com, November 30, 2022, https://www.zillow.com/home-values/21056/venice-los-angeles-ca/^[36]Zillow Home Value Index, “Venice Home Values,” zillow.com, June 30, 2023, https://www.zillow.com/home-values/21056/venice-los-angeles-ca/

Reports indicate that despite a continual increase in property values in Venice between 2012 and 2022, the market is indeed cooling. In 2020, there were 43.2% more single-family homes on the market compared to the year prior, and price paid per-square-foot decreased by 5.7% in the same period. Anecdotal evidence from realtors suggests that while house prices “rose in neighborhoods such as Brentwood, Pacific Palisades and the beaches of Malibu, homes over $3 million in Venice have been a tougher sell.”^[37]Katy McLaughlin, “The Venice Real-Estate Is Unstoppable No More,” wsj.com, March 4, 2021, https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-venice-real-estate-market-is-unstoppable-no-more-11614879936 Local realtors cite the pandemic and growing homeless population as the cause. The theory was supported by then-Councilmember Mike Bonin, who said, "I’m sure the fact that people are living on the street is impacting real-estate values where it is most concentrated."^[38]Katy McLaughlin, “The Venice Real-Estate Is Unstoppable No More,” wsj.com, March 4, 2021, https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-venice-real-estate-market-is-unstoppable-no-more-11614879936  

V. Research into the Impact of Low-Income Housing on Property Values

Research studies into the impact of low-income housing on neighborhood property values have, in general, concluded that there was either no impact or positive impacts on property values. Even in studies where results were mixed, some positive impacts on property values were found.

Of the studies detailed below, seven show that when low-income housing was built, house values in the neighborhoods increased; three of these studies researched areas in California. 

One study that researched property values in the least affordable housing markets in the U.S. — 45% of which were in California (including Los Angeles, San Diego, and Orange County) — found that in California, newly built low-income housing had no effect on property values. Another study about a housing project in New Jersey concluded the same.  

Three studies show that the introduction of low-income properties can have different impacts depending on the type of neighborhood the property is built in. Two of these studies concluded that low-income housing had negative effects on property values if built in affluent or higher-income areas but positive effects if built in areas with a higher number of lower-income residents or lack of investment. Another study found the opposite.

Few studies research the impact of low-income housing properties on both property values and crime. Two studies detailed below, including one from Orange County, California, and another from Mount Laurel, New Jersey, found that when low-income properties were built, neighborhood crime rates fell. 

A. The following studies show that affordable or low-income housing has a positive impact on property values:

1. A 2022 study by the Livable Cities Lab at UC Irvine found that when new low-income housing properties were built in Orange County, California, house prices went up and crime rates fell.^[39]Mimi Ko Cruz, “LCL Study Finds Benefits to Building Low-Cost Units in Orange County,” uci.edu, June 8, 2022, … Continue reading^[40]John Hipp, et al., "The Impact of Affordable Housing on Housing & Crime in Orange County," Livable Cities Lab, 2022, … Continue reading
2. A 2022 study published in the Journal of Housing Economics concluded that properties built under the low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC) scheme in Illinois “generate positive price spillover effects on the surrounding neighborhoods.” The study found that developments of LIHTC housing have a positive effect in both low-income and higher-income areas, noting that “more development is not worse and often may be better – at least for local property values.”^[41]Richard Voith, et al, “Effects of Concentrated LIHTC Development on Surrounding House Prices,” Journal of Housing Economics, Volume 56, June 2022, … Continue reading
3. A 2022 report from the DC-based Urban Institute found that homes in Alexandria, Virginia, located within 1/16th of a mile (“a typical urban block”) from affordable housing developments, saw property values increase “a small but statistically significant” 0.9%.^[42]Christina Plerhoples Stacy and Christopher Davis, “Assessing the Impact of Affordable Housing on Nearby Property Values in Alexandria, Virginia,” urban.org, April 19, 2022, … Continue reading
4. A 2007 study by researchers from Brown University and UC Santa Cruz found that property values increased in declining areas in California, Illinois, New Jersey and Texas when new low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC) properties were built.^[43]Nathaniel Baum-Snow and Justin Marion, “The Effects of Low Income Housing Tax Credit Developments on Neighborhoods,” Journal of Public Economics, Volume 93, Issue 5-6, … Continue reading
5. A 2007 study published in the Journal of Policy Analysis and Management found that, in New York City, “federally subsidized developments have not typically led to reductions in property values and have, in fact, led to increases in some cases.”^[44]Ingrid Gould Ellen, et al., “Does Federally Subsidized Rental Housing Depress Neighborhood Property Values?,” Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, Volume 26, Issue 2, Spring 2007, … Continue reading
6. A 2006 study by researchers from the University of Texas at Dallas concluded that, “LIHTC projects that went into place between 1986 and 2003 have a small, positive significant effect on single-family home prices located within 0.5 miles of the low-income units. In particular, homes located within 0.5 miles of an LIHTC project sold for 2.1% more than homes located between 0.5 and 1.5 miles from an LIHTC project.”^[45]Roxanne Ezzet-Lofstrom, et al., "The Effect of Low Income Housing Tax Credit Units on Residential Property Values in Dallas County," Williams Review, Volume 1, No. 1, 2006, … Continue reading
7. A 1993 study on the effect of affordable housing on property values in Northern California concluded that, "single-family home values in the neighborhood of Bridge Housing [affordable housing projects] are not adversely affected by their proximity to those projects. Indeed, in some cases, home values are actually higher the nearer a home is to a Bridge project.”^[46]Paul M. Cummings and John D. Landis, “Relationships Between Affordable Housing Developments and Neighboring Property Values,” Working Paper 599, Institute of Urban and Regional Development, … Continue reading

B. The following studies show that affordable or low-income housing has no impact on property values:

1. A 2016 study by Trulia, the online real estate company, found that “in the nation’s 20 least affordable housing markets [45% of which are in California], low-income [LIHTC] housing built during a 10-year span shows no effect on nearby home values.”^[47]Cheryl Young, “There Doesn’t Go the Neighborhood: Low-Income Housing Has No Impact on Nearby Home Values,” trulia.com, November 16, 2016, https://www.trulia.com/research/low-income-housing/#
2. A 2013 collaborative study by researchers from Northeastern University and Princeton University found that the opening of an affordable housing development in Mount Laurel, New Jersey "was not associated with trends in crime, property values, or taxes." The study noted that the crime rate in Mount Laurel had been falling prior to the opening of the affordable housing complex and continued to do so after it had opened. Similarly, housing prices had been rising and continued to rise at the same rate as nearby townships.^[48]Len Albright, et al., "Do Affordable Housing Projects Harm Suburban Communities? Crime, Property Values, and Taxes in Mount Laurel, NJ," City Community, Volume 12, Issue 2, June 2013, … Continue reading

C. The following studies show that affordable or low-income housing has mixed impact on property values:

1. A 2019 study by researchers at Stanford University found that, “LIHTC development revitalizes low-income neighborhoods, increasing house prices by 6.5 percent, lowering crime rates, and attracting racially and income diverse populations. LIHTC development in higher-income areas causes house price declines of 2.5 percent and attracts lower-income households.”^[49]Rebecca Diamond, et al., "Who Wants Affordable Housing in Their Backyard? An Equilibrium Analysis of Low-Income Property Development," Journal of Political Economy, Volume 27, Number 3, June 2019, … Continue reading
2. A 2016 study published in Urban Studies researching LIHTC developments in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Cleveland, Ohio, found that developments in Charlotte had negative effects on house values where LIHTC properties were built in an affluent area with higher property values, but positive effects were found in Cleveland where LIHTC properties were built in an area experiencing stagnation and lack of new investment in the housing market.^[50]Ayoung Woo, et al., "Unpacking the Impacts of Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Program on Nearby Property Values," Urban Studies, Volume 53, Issue 12, August 2016, … Continue reading
3. A 2015 University of Missouri study of LIHTC properties found that “while large new construction projects tend to diminish property conditions nearby, the effects of small new construction projects and larger rehabilitation projects generally are positive.”^[51]Kelly D. Edmiston, "Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Developments and Neighborhood Property Conditions," ssrn.com, February 22, 2015, https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2567801
4. Research published in the Journal of Policy Analysis and Management in 2001 concluded that in Denver, Colorado, “proximity to a subsidized housing site generally had an independent, positive effect on single-family home sales prices. The most notable exception to this pattern occurred in neighborhoods more than 20 percent of whose residents were black. Proximity to dispersed public housing sites in these neighborhoods resulted in slower growth in home sales prices in an otherwise booming housing market and suggest a threshold within ‘vulnerable’ neighborhoods whereby any potential gains associated with rehabilitating existing units are offset by the increased concentration of poor residents.”^[52]Anna M Santiago, et al., "Assessing the Property Value Impacts of the Dispersed Subsidy Housing Program in Denver," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, Volume 20, Issue 1, Winter 2001, … Continue reading