Overview

Abstract (English)

This study used panel data from the Canadian National Population Health Survey to examine the impact of homeownership on individual happiness. The study utilized a number of estimation methods, namely Ordered Probit, Ordinary Least Squares and panel data Fixed Effects. The Ordered Probit and the Ordinary Least Squares methods do not control for unobserved individual specific heterogeneities that may impact happiness. On the other hand, the panel data allowed this study to use a fixed effects method that controls for unobserved individual specific fixed effects. The results of the fixed effects method for the overall sample suggest that owning a home has no significant impact on happiness. However, the sub-sample analysis based on income levels suggests that owning a home negatively impacts happiness of individuals in the lowest income category.

Abstract (French)

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