The Filtering of Households and Housing Units

Abstract

The concept of filtering is about one hundred years old, yet much remains to be done to solidify a common understanding of the process and its policy implications-not the least of which is to clearly distinguish filtering's processesfrom its results, and to clarify whether the focus is on households or housing units. This article presents a model of filtering gleaned from the literature and discusses its assorted criticisms. Next, the literature is cast in its one hundred-year historical context to show how it evolved and how it was influenced by housing policy considerations of different eras. The article then offers a unifying framework for filtering's exposition. This framework allows the basic dimensions of filtering to be presented within its shelter system, and also shows how they are connected to larger economic and demographic forces in society that drive the filtering processes in the first place. The framework also allows a substantive rather than merely chronological organization of the literature. Finally, areas for future research are suggested based on this framework.