On September 5th, 2023, New York City implemented a municipal policy mandating that all hosts offering rentals for less than 30 days register with the city. The policy, known as Local Law 18, or the Short-Term Rental Registration Law, reinforces existing laws ... More »
As federal climate action falters, America’s mayors have a new plan to stop global warming: ban the use of natural gas in homes.While roughly 58% of American households use gas-powered stoves or heaters, research suggests that doing so is bad for our health an... More »
During the Great Recession, workers around the globe unexpectedly lost their jobs due to large-scale layoffs and firm bankruptcies. The factors that led to their loss of employment were often unrelated to the individual. However, what happened afterward — whet... More »
Chicago’s history of low-income housing policy is complex. The Chicago Housing Authority used to manage 17 large housing projects for low-income residents, but during the 1990s, due to high crime, poverty, drug use, and corruption and mismanagement in the proj... More »
Housing affordability has become a hot-button issue in many communities in the United States, particularly in urban neighborhoods, due to rapidly rising rents. In response, some housing activists have advocated for imposing rent control policies in order to pr... More »
2018 marks the 50th anniversary of the Fair Housing Act—an important victory for activists in the Civil Rights era—but this historic legislation did not eradicate discrimination in the housing market. Evidence shows that real estate agents today still steer bu... More »
In the November issue of the Journal of Urban Economics, Peter Ganong of Chicago’s Harris School of Public Policy and Daniel Shoag of the Harvard Kennedy School investigate a troubling question: “Why has regional income convergence in the U.S. declined?“In eco... More »
This piece, first published on November 27, 2013, is being republished as part of the Chicago Policy Review‘s 20th Anniversary Series. Please visit us here to learn more about the series from our Executive Editors.Many of the costs of poverty are self-evident.... More »
Housing is the foundation of a family’s life. This basic need determines the surrounding environment, the schools children attend, access to amenities, and even economic opportunities. Due to the essential service that housing provides, the US federal governme... More »
Economists argue that more reasonable zoning regulations could boost social mobility, increase incomes, and expand economic growth. More »
New research explores the complex relationship between housing prices and consumer spending. The magnitude of this relationship can vary considerably over time and across households. More »
What matters for future economic success is the amount of childhood exposure to better neighborhoods. More »