A new paper explores how the standard method used in demographic research to assign the race/ethnicity of a household understates the diversity that exists within US households.
Rising insurance premiums, due in large part to climate change-fueled hazards, are an affordability stressor for homeowners already facing historically high home prices.
The number of cost-burdened households in the US reached an all-time high in 2023, driven by the rapid rise in housing costs in the aftermath of the pandemic.
Historian Alexander von Hoffman explores the enigma of inner-city neighborhoods that, while considered to be slums, were varied and dynamic communities.
The timing of the recent surge in immigration does not line up with the growth in rents and home prices, but immigrants help expand the supply of homes given their outsized role in the construction industry.
Joint Center for Housing Studies
of Harvard University
Our Center strives to improve equitable access to decent, affordable homes in thriving communities and conducts rigorous research to advance policy and practice.
Demographic research frequently categorizes households by race and ethnicity using the characteristics of a single person rather than considering all household members. In this paper, we explore how this common method of assigning race/ethnicity might understate the diversity of US households. We consider the race/ethnicity of all adult household members to estimate how prevalent multi-race households are, how they differ from single-race households, and what their housing outcomes are.
This paper by historian Alexander von Hoffman examines the nearly 100-year history of public housing in the US and the role the public sector might play in a new social housing system.
There is a growing recognition that zoning reform alone won’t solve the housing crisis. This report examines staircases and the common building code requirement that projects between three and six stories include two separate means of egress (i.e., staircases) and explores the reasons for, and potential impact of changing this requirement in Massachusetts.
