Immigrants: Real Estate's Bulwark During Recession

According to a study by the University of Georgia, immigrants "matter more" to the real estate industry during a recesion.

1 minute read

December 13, 2001, 11:00 AM PST

By Chris Steins @planetizen


"At a time when American concern about foreigners may be reaching a historic high, real estate professionals may have their own reasons for monitoring the flow of immigration. With recessionary forces driving occupancies and rents downward, the presence of large numbers of newcomers-who, including their children, now account for over 60 million Americans-could prove an important, even critical, counter-cyclical force...This trend can be noted in a host of communities, from the Silicon Valley of Northern California and the San Fernando and San Gabriel Valleys of Southern California to greater Houston and New York...buttressing certain areas with new investments and tenants that might otherwise be feeling the full brunt of the recession..."

Thanks to REISCast Newsletter

Tuesday, December 11, 2001 in REIS

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 23, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Close-up of "Apartment for rent" sign in red text on black background in front of blurred building

Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program

Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.

April 21, 2025 - Housing Wire

Black and white photos of camp made up of small 'earthquake shacks' in Dolores Park in 1906 after the San Francisco earthquake.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees

More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

April 15, 2025 - Charles F. Bloszies

Los Angeles, California

Op-Ed: Looking for Efficiency? Fund Intercity Buses

Much less expensive than rail, intercity buses serve millions of Americans every year, but public subsidies are lacking.

15 minutes ago - Smart Cities Dive

A bus stop in Philadelphia, where people wait under a glass shelter for a bus as it arrives.

Philadelphia Councilmember Proposes Transit Access Fund

The plan would allocate 0.5 percent of the general fund toward mobility subsidies for low-income households.

1 hour ago - Streetsblog USA

Cyclists on an empty rural paved road with hills and sunset in background.

Texas Bill Would Ban Road Diets, Congestion Pricing

A Texas state senator wants to prevent any discussion of congestion pricing and could suspend existing bike lane and sidewalk projects.

2 hours ago - Houston Chronicle