The majority of physical inspections identified housing quality issues that have the potential to impact human health. If the frequency of physical inspections is reduced as a result of inspection alignment, the most health protective inspection protocol should be selected for funding agency inspections; a standardized physical inspection tool is recommended to improve the consistency of inspection findings between mandatory physical inspections in order to promote optimum tenant health.
Physical inspections that assess how well affordable housing properties meet quality and safety standards help to ensure that low-income tenants live in a healthy built environment. This study was part of a larger Health Impact Assessment (HIA) conducted between January 2012 and November 2013 to inform policymakers about the potential health consequences of a proposed policy decision to align the physical inspections required by housing funding agencies, which would result in a reduction of the frequency of physical inspections. Key informant interviews (n=18) of property managers and tenants were used to explore the inspection process, identification of housing quality issues, and potential effects on the health of affordable housing tenants and the impact on property management practices. Results indicate that physical inspection frequency may be an important trigger for property managers and tenants to adhere to proper maintenance schedules.
Economic crises like the Great Recession and the COVID pandemic prompt government intervention to stabilize homeowners and housing markets. During the Great Recession, the primary intervention was permanent loan modifications, with mixed evidence of success. The COVID pandemic spurred a more targeted but temporary intervention-mortgage payment relief for unemployed homeowners. Little is known about the long-term effectiveness of temporary mortgage assistance for homeowner outcomes. This paper leverages data on the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Hardest Hit Fund (HHF) program to analyze the longer-term effects of temporary mortgage payment subsidies on mortgage default. Our first research design exploits the fact that some states were not eligible to offer an HHF program and that certain Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) encompass jurisdictions in both HHF and non-HHF states. In a second research design, we model selection into the HHF program directly, exploiting lender variation in program participation as an instrument. Our results indicate that receipt of HHF assistance leads to a 40 percent reduction in the probability of mortgage default and foreclosure through four years post assistance. We estimate heterogeneous effects for different at-risk populations and discuss implications for policy.
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