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. 2013 Jun;12(2):89-112.
doi: 10.1111/cico.12015. Epub 2013 Jun 17.

Do Affordable Housing Projects Harm Suburban Communities? Crime, Property Values, and Taxes in Mount Laurel, NJ

Len Albright  1 , Elizabeth S Derickson  2 , Douglas S Massey  2
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Do Affordable Housing Projects Harm Suburban Communities? Crime, Property Values, and Taxes in Mount Laurel, NJ

Len Albright et al. City Community. 2013 Jun.

Abstract

This paper offers a mixed-method analysis of the municipal-level consequences of an affordable housing development built in suburban New Jersey. Opponents of affordable housing development often suggest that creating affordable housing will harm surrounding communities. Feared consequences include increases in crime, declining property values, and rising taxes. To evaluate these claims, the paper uses the case of Mt. Laurel, NJ - the site of a landmark affordable housing legal case and subsequent affordable housing development. Employing a multiple time series group control design, we compare crime rates, property values, and property taxes in Mt. Laurel to outcomes in similar nearby municipalities that do not contain comparable affordable housing developments. We find that the opening of the affordable housing development was not associated with trends in crime, property values, or taxes, and discuss management practices and design features that may have mitigated potential negative externalities.

Keywords: affordable housing; low income housing tax credit; mixed methods; suburbs.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The location and median income of Mount Laurel and three comparison townships in Southern New Jersey, 1999. Data Source: U.S. Census Bureau 2000
Figure 2
Figure 2
Crime rates in Mount Laurel and comparison townships, 1990–2009 Data Source: NJ Division of State Police, 1990–2009
Figure 3
Figure 3
Property values in Mount Laurel, comparison townships, and nearby neighborhoods, 1994–2010 Data Sources: NJ Division of Taxation 1994–2010; Asbury Park Press property records 1994–2010
Figure 4
Figure 4
Effective tax rates in Mount Laurel and comparison townships, 1994–2010 Data Source: NJ Division of Taxation 1997–2010
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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