Political Economy and Public Policy Evaluation of Housing

This project investigates the impact of housing policies in France and Luxembourg, focusing on tax-based interventions (transfer taxes, property/land taxes, tax on mobilization, and tax on unoccupied housing) designed to address housing market challenges such as rising prices, shortages, and vacancies. The key research question is how effectively these policies achieve their goals and what their causal effects are on economic outcomes like transaction volumes, sales prices, tax revenues, and housing/land supply – but also on socio-economic outcomes including immigration, crime and spatial segregation. The methodology is based on econometric methods and intensive empirical work, with the conjoint use of surveys and comprehensive administrative data, to ensure that findings and policy recommendations are as accurate and appropriate as possible.

In a nutshell, the project’s findings will contribute to the policy debates on the housing public policy and housing-related issues, and provide a toolbox for policymakers to implement the optimal housing policies, to solve the housing crisis and improve the allocation of resources (housing and land).