Urban housing affordability, economic disadvantage and racial disparities in gun violence: A neighbourhood analysis in four US cities.

This study investigates the relationship between housing affordability—measured as the proportion of income spent on rent—and urban gun violence in four U.S. cities: New York, Newark, Philadelphia, and Cincinnati. Using neighborhood-level data from 2006 to 2020 and fixed-effects models, the research finds that increased housing unaffordability is significantly associated with higher rates of gun violence, particularly in majority Black neighborhoods. Additionally, eviction rates and joblessness exacerbate gun violence primarily in neighborhoods facing greater rent burdens, with these effects more pronounced in majority Black communities than in majority White ones. The findings highlight housing affordability as a distinct and critical factor influencing gun violence disparities and suggest that policies addressing housing costs alongside targeted violence prevention may be effective in reducing urban gun violence.