Do Neighborhoods Affect Credit Market Decisions of Low-Income Borrowers? Evidence from the Moving to Opportunity Experiment

Sarah Miller and Cindy K. Soo

No 25023, NBER Working Papers from National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc

Abstract: This paper isolates the causal impact of neighborhood environment on credit outcomes of low-income borrowers by analyzing the participants of the Moving to Opportunity (MTO) experiment. MTO was a unique, large-scale experiment that offered families vouchers to move to better neighborhoods via randomized lottery. We find higher credit scores and use among those required to move to the lowest poverty areas as young children. For those who moved as adults, we find that better neighborhoods lead to a reduction of overdue debts and delinquencies, but only among those given unrestricted neighborhood choice.

JEL-codes: D12 D14 G41 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018-09
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-ure
Note: PE
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

Published as Sarah Miller & Cindy K Soo & Itay Goldstein, 2021. "Do Neighborhoods Affect the Credit Market Decisions of Low-Income Borrowers? Evidence from the Moving to Opportunity Experiment," The Review of Financial Studies, vol 34(2), pages 827-863.

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