Safe and Satisfied? External Effects of Homeownership in Rotterdam

The article analyses the impact of homeownership on neighbourhood safety and neighbourhood satisfaction, using a unique panel dataset for the city of Rotterdam. The results show that there are significant, but economically small, effects of homeownership on safety and satisfaction. Moreover, the relation between ownership and satisfaction is significantly moderated by neighbourhood safety. The paper examines whether the marginal impact of increases in homeownership on external effects diminish once ownership levels are higher. According to the data, this seems to be the case. The results are robust to alternative specifications. The findings provide insights for the evaluation of housing market policies that subsidise or stimulate homeownership.