Homeownership in disadvantaged neighborhoods linked to increased political participation

Homeowners in disadvantaged neighborhoods are more likely to vote than renters and those who own homes in more privileged communities, according to research to be presented at the annual meeting of the American Sociological Association (ASA). A University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill research team led by sociologist Kimberly Manturuk investigated the relationship between homeownership and political participation and found that as neighborhood disadvantage increases, homeowners become more likely to vote while renters are less likely to do so.

"In distressed and downtrodden neighborhoods, homeownership is a catalyst for political participation and neighborhood revitalization," said Manturuk, the study's primary investigator and a research assistant at the Center for Community Capital. "By engaging residents in local issues, homeownership contributes to the re-empowerment of urban communities."

Manturuk studied a sample of 1,088 owners and 1,530 renters in 30 metropolitan areas from the Community Advantage Panel (CAP) study. The CAP study follows a group of low- and moderate-income homeowners and a matched comparison group of renters, collecting data on household and community characteristics to assess the social and economic impacts of homeownership. The CAP study is funded by the Ford Foundation through a grant to the Center for Community Capital at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.

Source: American Sociological Association