Examining geographies of opportunity for households with limited means: An investigation of transit accessibility and housing affordability in eight U.S. metropolitan areas
Kara S. Luckey, PhD, AICP
University of Colorado, Denver
Abstract
The role of transit in maximizing geographies of opportunity for low- and moderate-income individuals is well-established, although emerging concerns about direct and exclusionary displacement in transit-rich neighborhoods call into question the ability of those with limited means to benefit from transit access. In the face of these questions, a ‘location efficiency narrative’ suggests that displacement may be less of a threat than commonly thought because lower transportation costs in transit-accessible neighborhoods are likely to offset higher housing costs. Yet it remains unclear whether this narrative is supported by on-the-ground empirics, especially given concerns about the robustness of typical measures of affordability. This study takes as its starting point a puzzle about whether transit-rich neighborhoods are indeed more affordable, as a location efficiency approach would suggest, when affordability is examined using measures and methods that address key shortcomings in the literature. I therefore introduce an improved ‘location-sensitive residual income’ (LSRI) measure – which accounts for the nuances of household composition, financial circumstances, and residential location – and demonstrate how more typical measures are likely to under-estimate the challenges faced by low- and moderate-income households as they seek affordable housing. I then employ LSRI measures to investigate current landscapes of accessibility and affordability experienced by low- and moderate-income renters in eight U.S. metros. I first examine the extent to which supplies of affordable rental housing are located in transit-accessible neighborhoods. I then isolate the complex relationship between transit accessibility and affordability using a series of spatial error and geographically-weighted regression models that control for key characteristics of the built and social environments, as well as for spatial dependence. Results indicate that geographies of opportunity as shaped by accessibility and affordability are surprisingly strong in several metros – Denver and Los Angeles most notably – but are quite weak others. While findings for some metros are largely consistent with a location efficiency narrative, results for a larger number challenge it, underscoring that high housing costs in transit-accessible areas cannot be assumed to be offset by lower transportation costs. Further implications for transportation justice and potential policy prescriptions to promote transit-accessible affordable housing are also discussed.
Kara S. Luckey, PhD, AICP
University of Colorado, Denver
Abstract
The role of transit in maximizing geographies of opportunity for low- and moderate-income individuals is well-established, although emerging concerns about direct and exclusionary displacement in transit-rich neighborhoods call into question the ability of those with limited means to benefit from transit access. In the face of these questions, a ‘location efficiency narrative’ suggests that displacement may be less of a threat than commonly thought because lower transportation costs in transit-accessible neighborhoods are likely to offset higher housing costs. Yet it remains unclear whether this narrative is supported by on-the-ground empirics, especially given concerns about the robustness of typical measures of affordability. This study takes as its starting point a puzzle about whether transit-rich neighborhoods are indeed more affordable, as a location efficiency approach would suggest, when affordability is examined using measures and methods that address key shortcomings in the literature. I therefore introduce an improved ‘location-sensitive residual income’ (LSRI) measure – which accounts for the nuances of household composition, financial circumstances, and residential location – and demonstrate how more typical measures are likely to under-estimate the challenges faced by low- and moderate-income households as they seek affordable housing. I then employ LSRI measures to investigate current landscapes of accessibility and affordability experienced by low- and moderate-income renters in eight U.S. metros. I first examine the extent to which supplies of affordable rental housing are located in transit-accessible neighborhoods. I then isolate the complex relationship between transit accessibility and affordability using a series of spatial error and geographically-weighted regression models that control for key characteristics of the built and social environments, as well as for spatial dependence. Results indicate that geographies of opportunity as shaped by accessibility and affordability are surprisingly strong in several metros – Denver and Los Angeles most notably – but are quite weak others. While findings for some metros are largely consistent with a location efficiency narrative, results for a larger number challenge it, underscoring that high housing costs in transit-accessible areas cannot be assumed to be offset by lower transportation costs. Further implications for transportation justice and potential policy prescriptions to promote transit-accessible affordable housing are also discussed.
