Housing Quality Gap for Minorities and Immigrants in the U.S.: Evidence from the 2009 American Housing Survey

Using the data from the national American Housing Survey for the year 2009 this paper examines the housing quality gap for minorities and immigrants. Using logit model this paper finds that there is a significant quality gap for Blacks and Hispanics when compared to whites in the U.S. but not for immigrants relative to natives. The home quality has not changed over time among the homeowners in the U.S. However for immigrant homeowners the home quality dropped during the 1980s, potentially due to amnesties and low skilled immigration. We also find evidence that naturalization improves housing adequacy among immigrant homeowners.