Work

When the neighbors are watching: Immigrant integration policy and housing wealth

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: We hypothesize and establish empirically that the effects of migrant integration policies on housing wealth are influenced by public attention to immigration. Using a unique policy converting temporary refugee reception centers into integration facilities, we conduct an event study analysis. Our results show that timing matters: implementation during times of high public attention to immigration reduces housing wealth, while implementation during times of low attention has no impact. These findings suggest that the backlash effect of integration policies estimated in the literature may be driven by public perceptions of migration crises.

Source: Journal of Urban Economics

DOI: 10.1016/j.jue.2026.103844

Authors: Mario F. Carillo, Lavinia Piemontese, Francesco Flaviano Russo

Institutions: Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, University of Bologna, Centre for Studies in Economics and Finance, University of Naples Federico II

Language: English

Topic: Migration, Refugees, and Integration

Subfield: Sociology and Political Science

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Sustainable cities and communities, Reduced inequalities

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $5,080