Selective housing policy in local housing markets and the supply of housing

Selective programs and subsidies have an impact on both the financial position and the housing conditions of the household to whom they are allocated. They also affect the equilibrium outcome in housing markets. This study analyzes how the housing stock in Norwegian municipalities is affected by selective targeted interventions on the supply and demand-sides of the market. The empirical analysis shows that additions to the stock of public housing increases the total housing stock. For every 100 new public units built, 60 units are added to the total housing stock. Demand-side subsidies are also shown to increase the size of the housing stock. Using a linear spline it is shown that the magnitude of the marginal effect on the total size of the housing stock is strongly decreasing in program size.