This study evaluates the effects of GSE mortgage purchase activity on homeownership and housingconditions among communities that are the focus of the 1992 GSE Act and the HUD affordablehousing goals. To identify GSE effects, the test framework exploits differences in the definition...

This paper argues for the importance of separating the bundled good of housing into land and improvements, because locational amenities – which often constitute a significant portion of property value – are typically capitalized into the value of land but not the value of the...

A now popular economic development tool for states, enterprise zone programs attemptto increase business investment, employment, and wages in depressed areas by offering labor andcapital subsidies to firms operating in the designated zones. While a number of studies haveexamined the effects of...

There is a seeming paradox about the "affordable housing goals": GSE activities in targeted communities have increased under the goals but there has been little measurable improvement in housing market conditions in these communities. This paper seeks to reconcile this paradox by focusing on...

This paper examines whether CRA incentives were influential regarding the large increase in lending to lower-income communities through the 1990s and early 2000s. The approach capitalizes on the fact that, because the CRA does not apply to all lenders in all locations, the regulations establish...

While the subprime mortgage loan product clearly expands access to credit, concerns have been raised about its costs, particularly to lower-income and minority populations. This paper examines whether GSE loan purchase activities might serve as an effective vehicle for mitigating these costs....

This paper seeks to address questions about both the need for the CommunityReinvestment Act (CRA) and its efficiency. Using data from a recent survey of theperformance and profitability of CRA-related lending activities, three main conclusionsemerge. First, there is evidence that a majority of...

This study examines the issue of whether CRA-related events impact the securityprices of banking institutions involved in mergers. While previous research hasestablished that bank shareholders experience a significant permanent loss of wealth uponthe announcement of a CRA protest, the current...