The Long-Term Effects of Rent Regulation on Children: Evidence from World War II-Era Federal Rent Control Policy

The United States faces a severe affordable housing crisis that is especially severe in the rental sector. Rent regulation has re-emerged as a policy response to the affordable housing crisis. Yet the long-term effects of rent regulation on children, including its effect on their well-being and economic opportunity, remain understudied. Doctoral student in sociology Maxwell Fineman will investigate the long-term effects of rent regulations on children’s outcomes, focusing on federal rent control policies during World War II. They will analyze Federal Register records, Census data, and IRS tax returns for their study.