On December 23, the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland published a working paper showing that the demolition of public housing projects led to a sharp decline in crime.
On December 22, the Congressional Budget Office published a study on the role of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in the secondary mortgage market.
A December 21 report from the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas predicts continued pain in the housing market due to the large number of vacant housing units.
On December 13, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development published a study of housing prices in its member countries between 1980 and 2005.
In a November 23 commentary, Morgan Stanley economist Richard Berner reviewed options for fixing the housing finance industry. All of the options have some negative elements, but doing something is better than doing nothing, he says.
In a November 9 commentary, Harvard economist Ed Glaeser warned Republicans that privatizing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac is unlikely to reduce the size of government.
On November 3, University of Chicago economist Casey Mulligan published a commentary on the failure of the Obama administration’s mortgage modification program.
In an October 19 commentary, Harvard economist Ed Glaeser offered suggestions for fixing the foreclosure problem.
An October 18 study from the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco examined underwater mortgages—those where the value of the property is less than the outstanding mortgage—and the incentive to default.
An October 16 paper by Department of Housing and Urban Development economist Mark Shroder examined the work disincentive effects of low-income housing subsidies.
I last posted items on this topic on October 13.
Bruce Bartlett is an American historian and columnist who focuses on the intersection between politics and economics. He blogs daily and writes a weekly column at The Fiscal Times. Bartlett has written for Forbes Magazine and Creators Syndicate, and his work is informed by many years in government, including as a senior policy analyst in the Reagan White House. He is the author of seven books including the New York Times best-seller, Impostor: How George W. Bush Bankrupted America and Betrayed the Reagan Legacy (Doubleday, 2006).
