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Please note!
This fact brief was originally published as an experiment to test the concepts behind fact briefs.
Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of useful information in fact briefs like this one, not all of them reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.

Does immigration increase housing prices?

By Christopher Hutton
YES

Economists looking across 14 countries concluded that immigration increases housing prices. A 2007 U.S. study found that each new immigrant across metropolitan areas added 11.6 cents to average housing values. That raises costs for new renters and buyers, while enriching existing property owners--40 million immigrants over time generated $3.7 trillion in gains, a pro-immigration group calculated.

In diverse or economically depressed neighborhoods, the effect is largely positive. In neighborhoods favored by native populations, effects vary. Looking at census tracts, U.S. economists found housing values fell 6% as the share of immigrants rises to 30%. The relationship was more negative when Black immigrants moved in. "Natives are willing to pay a premium to live in predominantly native neighborhoods," Wharton's Susan Wachter explained.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR
Between 2020 and 2022, under close editorial supervision, Gigafact contracted a group of freelance writers and editors to test the concepts for fact briefs and provide inputs to our software development process. We call this effort Gigafact Foundry. Over the course of these two years, Gigafact Foundry writers published over 1500 fact briefs in response to claims they found online. Their important work forms the basis of Gigafact formats and editorial guidelines, and is available to the public on Gigafact.org. Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of relevant information to be found, not all fact briefs produced by Gigafact Foundry reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date and need to be looked at with fresh eyes, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
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