Building Segregation: The Long-Run Neighborhood Effects of American Public Housing
Public housing construction caused large, persistent increases in Black population shares and substantial declines in median incomes and rents in American neighborhoods. This paper studies these long-term neighborhood effects using a new national dataset tracking over 1 million public housing units built between 1935 and 1973. These findings demonstrate that mid-century public housing, despite intentions of slum clearance, reinforced existing patterns of racial and economic segregation with lasting consequences for economic opportunity.