3 compared to their non-telecommuting counterparts. This likelihood increased to 34.7% in 2017. For twoworker households, the homeownership of urbanized and suburban households was consistently influenced by telecommuting status in both years. Urbanized two-worker households saw a 44.6% increase in the probability of homeownership in 2009 and 37.2% in 2017. Suburban households with telecommuters were 24.1% more likely to be homeowners in 2009 and 54% in 2017. Telecommuting and Housing Type Preference Due to the absence of housing type information in the 2017 NHTS dataset, the analysis of the correlation between housing preference and telecommuting was solely based on the 2009 data. At the individual level, telecommuters were 29.9% more likely to reside in a detached or duplex house compared to nontelecommuters. At the household level, one-worker telecommuting households were 28.1% more likely to live in a detached or duplex house, while two-worker telecommuting households were 58.3% more likely. The presence of telecommuters significantly influenced living in a detached or duplex house. The presence of a telecommuter notably increased the likelihood of living in a detached or duplex house for middle-aged one-worker households compared to non-telecommuting households. Similar results were observed among middle-aged two-worker households with at least one telecommuter. The spatial heterogeneous test indicated that, for one-worker households, telecommuting exerted a statistically significant impact on residing in a detached or duplex house in urbanized areas. Telecommuting households in urban areas were 18.1% more likely to live in detached or duplex houses. No significant influence of telecommuting on renters was detected, suggesting that telecommuting status significantly impacted homeowners. Robustness Check The study tested the robustness of the results by examining different categories of housing type choices using regression. Results demonstrated that telecommuters and telecommuting households tended to prefer dwelling types with more space. One-worker telecommuting households were 33.8% more likely to live in a detached house, while two-worker households with a telecommuter had a 63.4% increased probability of residing in a stand-alone detached house. Recommendations Understanding Urban and Housing Development Plans in the Post-pandemic Era The findings of this study indicate that both individual telecommuters and telecommuting households are more likely to be homeowners. This impact is statistically significant in the pre-pandemic data of both 2009 and 2017, especially evident for middle-aged (30-55 years old) households as demonstrated by heterogeneous analysis. With the significant rise in telecommuting due to the pandemic, an upsurge in homeownership demand is expected in the post-pandemic era. Policymakers should take this into account when planning new developments to ensure adequate housing to meet these evolving demands. Additionally, this study highlights the persistent and statistically significant influence of telecommuting status on homeownership in urban areas with higher rentership compared to rural areas. Consequently, in cities with overheated rental markets, this may offer benefits and alleviate the necessity for rent control or regulations related to short-term vacation rentals like Airbnb. The substantial growth in telecommuting post-pandemic is likely to increase the demand for more spacious housing while reducing the demand for compact housing such as apartments. As a result, planners and policymakers in suburbs, smaller cities, and towns may leverage this shifting housing demand to attract new residents and enhance local economies, but caution must be exercised to avoid generating unsustainable urban sprawl. By diminishing the need for daily commutes, telecommuting makes longer distances between work and home feasible, expanding residential location options and enabling households to allocate budgets towards more spacious housing. Spending more time at home may elevate the demand for higher-quality housing conditions, encompassing spaciousness and neighborhood environment. Although detached or duplex housing may be less common in major cities and urbanized regions, policymakers and real Public Policy BULLETIN Influence of Telecommuting on Homeownership and Housing Choice: A Study Based on Prepandemic Data
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