Soaring rents, long waiting lists, and mounting political anger are forcing governments across Europe to address gaps in social housing provision. This column examines whether new homes can also transform childrena??s futures, by looking at outcomes for families that were randomly selected to move into the Olympic Village in Athens after the Games had finished. The main finding a?? that low-achieving adolescents gain substantially while no group is harmed a?? suggests that well-designed social housing can do more than provide shelter; it can create environments where struggling students reset their educational trajectories.

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17 April 2026

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CEPR

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https://cepr.org/voxeu/columns/olympic-opportunity-social-housing-policy-lessons-athens-2004-olympic-village

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