A University of Arkansas at Little Rock professor will discuss the effects neighborhood and homeowner’s associations have on property values and crime rates during the next “Plain Talk on Race and Ethnicity” lecture on Tuesday, Oct. 23. 

Dr. Michael Craw, associate professor in the School of Public Affairs, will give his talk, “Why Neighborhood Associations Matter” at 6 p.m. Oct. 23 in the University District Building.

Craw’s project uses data from city agencies and from a recent survey of Little Rock neighborhood organizations to provide new insights into the effects of Little Rock neighborhood and homeowner associations on their neighborhoods. He examined data from the Pulaski County Assessor’s Office that covered approximately 50,000 single-family home sales in Little Rock from 2000 to 2016. The study controlled for individual characteristics of the home, including lot size, income level of neighborhood residents, ethnicity, and other factors.

The study finds that neighborhood and homeowner associations have significant effects on property values and on crime. However, the study also raises important questions about whether and how neighborhood and homeowner associations reinforce differences across neighborhoods. The results speak to the potential benefits of supporting more active neighborhood and homeowner associations and of collaboration across neighborhoods to address community problems.

Earlier this year, Craw received the William E. Mosher and Frederick C. Mosher Award for his article on the study, “Institutional Analysis of Neighborhood Collective Action.” The Mosher and Mosher Award is presented to the author(s) of the best Public Administration Review article by an academic during the year.

The event, which is sponsored by the UA Little Rock Anderson Institute on Race and Ethnicity, is free and open to the public. For more information, contact the Anderson Institute at 501-569-8932 or race-ethnicity@ualr.edu.