Ethnic Differences in Housing Opportunities

This study uses a telephone field experiment to assess the degree of discrimination against female Albanians in Athenian rental housing markets. By examining a large sample represented by 122 urban areas we found that Albanians faced lower access to housing than the corresponding probability for Greeks. Moreover, Albanians faced lower access in newer apartments, above ground apartments, and repaired apartments. Meanwhile, Albanian home-seekers have to pay more than Greeks for these house characteristics. Of further importance is the finding that Albanians found to face higher access to housing in areas closer to the Athens centre, detecting the role of landlords in creating residential ethnic segregation. All findings are significant and suggest that Albanians both anticipate and encounter housing discrimination.