Housing Collateral Reform and Economic Reallocation

Abstract

This paper examines how banks reallocate credit after the introduction of a more enforceable housing collateral contract in Brazil. This new contract greatly improved the repossession of real estate assets used as collateral for personal and business loans. We find opposing effects of this policy. Because of the stronger enforcement, credit supply increased in municipalities with higher homeownership, leading to the creation of new firms, higher employment, and economic performance. However, banks restricted credit to borrowers in low homeownership municipalities. These areas experienced a decline in entrepreneurship, local labor demand, and economic activity. The credit reallocation was greatest for credit-constrained banks, consistent with higher external financing costs. Finally, the differential effects in credit supply induced a redistribution of labor in the economy: workers migrated from low to high homeownership municipalities after the reform.