Affordable for whom? Introducing an improved measure for assessing impacts of transportation decisions on housing affordability for households with limited means

The close connection between transportation and housing affordability has gained widespread recognition in recent years, largely in response to two related concerns. Yet, the ways we typically measure housing affordability have received very little critical attention, particularly as it relates to transportation decision-making. This study addresses this gap by critically reviewing the two most common measures, which the author suggests are limited due to their inability to account for the large effects of household income and characteristics, as well as variations in transportation costs (in the case of one approach). In light of these shortcomings, the author introduces an alternate measure – the location-sensitive residual income (LSRI) approach – which reflects the realities facing households more fully by incorporating differences associated with household income, composition, childcare requirements, and residential location. An application of the LSRI approach in the Denver metro suggests that measures generated using LSRI and more typical approaches result in very different findings, and therefore, very different implications about the challenges faced by households with limited means. Findings demonstrate that conclusions about the social impacts of transportation infrastructure and service on housing affordability are highly dependent on the measures used. The author argues that the LSRI approach offers a substantially more nuanced means of evaluating the impacts and benefits associated with transportation decisions, and in particular, how decisions promote – or perhaps challenge – social justice among vulnerable populations.

• Record URL:
  • https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rtbm.2018.04.003
• Record URL:
  • http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S221053951730127X
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/22105395
• Supplemental Notes:
  • © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Abstract reprinted with permission of Elsevier.
• Authors:
  • Luckey, Kara S
• Publication Date: 2018-12

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Web
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 37-49
• Serial:
  • Research in Transportation Business & Management
  • Volume: 29
  • Issue Number: 0
  • Publisher: Elsevier
  • ISSN: 2210-5395
  • Serial URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/22105395

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Economic factors; Equity; Housing; Low income groups; Residential location
• Geographic Terms: Denver Metropolitan Area
• Subject Areas: Economics; Finance; Society; Transportation (General);

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01712754
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jul 29 2019 11:02AM