Our July Data Talk focused on a topic of much speculation (and relatively little research): the impact of student loan debt on homeownership. We heard from two of the premier researchers in this area: Meta Brown, senior economist for the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and Jeffrey P. Thompson, economist for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. Brown discussed her work on student loan debt and homeownership, as well as some work on student loan debt and household formation. Thompson presented his paper quantifying the importance of student loan debt on long-term household stability, including homeownership. Sandy Baum from the Urban Institute and George Washington University discussed both papers and supplemented the talk with some of her own research in the student loans area.

Discussants

• Beth Akers, fellow, Brown Center on Education Policy, Brookings Institution
• Sandy Baum, senior fellow, Urban Institute and research professor of education policy, George Washington University

Presenters

• Meta Brown, senior economist, Federal Reserve Bank of New York
• Jeffrey P. Thompson, economist, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System

Resources

• Agenda
• Debt, Jobs, or Housing: What’s Keeping Millennials at Home?
• Just Released: Young Student Loan Borrowers Remained on the Sidelines of the Housing Market in 2013
• The Effects of Student Loans on Long-Term Household Financial Stability
• Young Student Loan Borrowers Retreat from Housing and Auto Markets

Photo credit: Matt Rourke / AP