Dr. Patricia Yu
UH West Oʻahu Instructor of Economics, Peiyong “Patricia” Yu, published an article titled, “Effects of Sex Offenders’ Residential Locations on Property Values using both Parametric and Semiparametric Models,” in peer-reviewed Atlantic Economic Journal on September 1.
The purpose of the study was to estimate the impact of sex offenders’ residential locations on the property values in Rochester, New York. In 1996, the federal government required states to pass legislation requiring public notification of personal information for sex offenders based on Megan’s Laws. In 2007, the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act was enacted, leading to the creation of the National Sex Offender Public Website, which shares sex offender information nationwide. With the data availability and the use of spatial hedonic model, Dr. Yu concluded that homeowners residing within 0.1 mile, between a 0.1 and 0.2 miles, and between a 0.2 and 0.3 mile radius of a nearby sex offender suffer about 7 percent, 6 percent, and 3 percent property value drops, respectively. These percentage changes translate into $4617, $3731, and $1897 reductions for the average-priced house in the sample, respectively. This negative impact dissipates beyond the 0.3 mile radius.
Dr. Peiyong “Patricia” Yu has a PhD in economics from Northern Illinois University. Her research focuses on regional economics, environmental economics, and urban economics.
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