Fernanda Rojas Ampuero, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Paper: Segregation and Death: The Consequences of Slum Clearance on Mortality.

Abstract: We study the effects of forced displacement on adults’ mortality. We use evidence from a slum clearance program implemented in Santiago, Chile, between 1979 and 1985 that forced slum families to relocate to public housing in low-income areas. Two-thirds of families were relocated to new housing projects on the periphery of the city, and the rest received housing at their initial location. We compare the outcomes of displaced and non-displaced adults from slums with the same probability of being cleared, and find displacement increases mortality: Displaced adults die 30% more per year and the effect is relatively constant across 35 years after the intervention. Increases in mortality appear in the entire age distribution for both men and women but causes vary by gender. Women are more likely to die of disease-related causes such as heart disease or cancer, and men are more likely to die of external/violent causes and tobacco addiction. Because of higher segregation and lower access to jobs in destination neighborhoods, our results suggest poverty could be the channel to increased mortality among displaced individuals.