Project description
The connection between monetary policy and mortgages
Mortgages and monetary policies are linked. Debt results in a redistribution between lenders and borrowers. A contractionary monetary policy raises cost of borrowing, reducing liquidity in the housing market and bringing down house prices, which in turn increase the cost of borrowing. The EU-funded HANK-w-HOUSING project will shed light on any asymmetry between contractionary and expansionary monetary policy responses. It will also determine whether effectiveness of monetary policies depends on the distribution of mortgage debt. To study the issues, the project will develop a heterogeneous agent new Keynesian (HANK) model with a frictional housing market and nominal mortgage debt. It will match the empirical heterogeneity in home ownership, leverage and marginal propensity to consume across households.
Objective
The Great Recession has brought to light the importance of housing and household debt for the propagation of shocks in the macroeconomy. For a majority of households, owner-occupied housing represents the single most important asset in the household portfolio and is tied to the single largest liability—the mortgage. The broad objective of this project is to investigate the rich role that housing and nominal mortgage borrowing jointly play in the transmission of monetary policy. First, monetary policy induced-movements in house prices translate into consumption changes because of wealth effects. Second, a contractionary monetary shock raises the cost of borrowing which reduces the demand and as a result the liquidity of the housing market, further depressing house prices and further increases the cost of borrowing. Furthermore, nominal long-term mortgage debt implies that changes in monetary policy result in redistribution between lenders and borrowers and generate cash-flow effects that are larger for borrowing constrained households. In order to quantify these various mechanisms, we build a heterogenous agent New Keynesian (HANK) model with a frictional housing market and nominal mortgage debt. The model will be able to match the rich empirical heterogeneity in home ownership, leverage and marginal propensity to consume (MPC) across households. In particular, we aim to match the significant difference in MPC between highly leveraged households and less-leveraged ones that we document in the data. We will then use the model to answer the following questions: Is there any asymmetry between contractionary and expansionary monetary policy responses? Does effectiveness of the policy depend on the distribution of mortgage debt? How to manage a liquidity trap induced by a housing bust?
Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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H2020-EU.1.3. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
MAIN PROGRAMME
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H2020-EU.1.3.2. - Nurturing excellence by means of cross-border and cross-sector mobility
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) H2020-MSCA-IF-2019
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
50014 Fiesole
Italy
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.