Could Immigration Crackdowns Crash the Housing Market?

Immigrants, both documented and undocumented, are a growing factor in the demand for new housing. In the long term (or sooner), the Trump Administration's hard line on newcomers could lead to instability for the rest of us.

1 minute read

March 20, 2017, 6:00 AM PDT

By Philip Rojc @PhilipRojc


Arizona Suburb

Tim Roberts Photography / Shutterstock

Who's renting or buying all that new suburban tract housing, especially in the Sun Belt? Increasingly, it is people who haven't been long in the United States, including some living here without documentation. In 2013, a Mortgage Bankers Association study found that "in this decade, immigrants nationwide will account for 32.2% of the growth in all households, 35.7% of growth in homeowners and 26.4% of growth in renter households."

It also found that foreign-born residents are buying homes at an increasing rate. And that's not just in your typical "immigrant" states. Edward Helmore writes, "while immigrants were once concentrated in a few gateway states, such as California, New York and Florida, the pattern of immigration after the 2007 economic crash is less concentrated."

The study's author warns that many immigrants pool incomes to purchase homes. Take away only one of those parties, and the purchase can no longer happen.

Another observer points out that while a crackdown on undocumented immigrants alone could chill the market, the real danger is a long-term drop in immigration of every kind. In time, that could critically depress both the housing market and the market for talent in this country.

Thursday, February 23, 2017 in The Guardian

View of Interstate 205 bridge over Columbia River with Mt. Hood in background.

The Unceremonious Death of a Freeway Expansion Project

The end of an Oregon freeway project didn't get much fanfare, but the victory is worth celebrating.

September 19, 2023 - Streetsblog USA

A derelict sign on a barbed wire fence reads “Golf Course, Private, No Admittance.”

Converting Golf Courses to Housing Never as Easy as the Market Would Like

Thousands of golf courses have closed in recent years, but the obvious redevelopment opportunity represented by many defunct courses isn’t always easy to realize.

September 19, 2023 - The Business Journals

Close-up of red Houston BCycle bike share bikes parked at a station

Houston To End Bike Share Program

Lacking the funding it needs to continue, Houston’s BCycle bike share system will end operations in the coming months.

September 18, 2023 - Houston Chronicle

Close-up of Unalakleet, Alaska on map.

FTA Announces Tribal Transit Program Grants

The agency awarded close to $10 million to 22 communities around the country for transit improvements.

19 minutes ago - Mass Transit

View from inside glass top floor of Amtrak passenger train with Rocky Mountains scenery outside.

Making Colorado’s Front Range Rail a Reality

Local leaders are scrambling to bring together the funding and political support to create new intercity rail service in the fast-growing region.

1 hour ago - Governing

Students walking on sunny walkway on college campus.

How College Campuses Fulfill an Urbanist Dream

Most college campuses in the United States are inherently walkable, mixing various uses with diverse housing options and transit networks.

2 hours ago - The Daily

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.