EFFECTS OF NEIGHBORHOOD CHARACTERISTICS ON THE MORTALITY OF BLACK MALE YOUTH: EVIDENCE FROM GAUTREAUX

We analyze the effects of neighborhood characteristics on the mortality of black male youth in families relocated through the Gautreaux program, a residential mobility program implemented in Chicago in 1976. While we find significant evidence of neighborhood selfselection by families participating in Gautreaux, we nonetheless find evidence that certain placement neighborhood characteristics were associated with lower male youth mortality rates after controlling for household and origin neighborhood characteristics. Placement neighborhood characteristics related to human capital and work were more important predictors of male youth mortality than characteristics related to race, poverty, or family composition.