Foreclosure, Vacancy and Crime

Cui, Lin

doi:10.2139/ssrn.1773706

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Foreclosure, Vacancy and Crime

24 Pages Posted: 3 Mar 2011

See all articles by Lin Cui

Lin Cui

University of Pittsburgh

Date Written: November 1, 2010

Abstract

This paper examines the impact of residential foreclosures and vacancies on violent and property crime. To overcome confounding factors, a difference-in-difference research design is applied to a unique data set containing geocoded foreclosure and crime data from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Results indicate that while foreclosure alone has no effect on crime, violent crime increases by more than 15% once the foreclosed home becomes vacant. Effects on property crime are similar, but less precisely estimated.

Keywords: Foreclosure, Vacancy, Crime

JEL Classification: R00, R10

Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation

Cui, Lin, Foreclosure, Vacancy and Crime (November 1, 2010). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1773706. or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1773706