HIDDEN HOUSING PRODUCTION: RESIDENTIAL CONVERSION ACTIVITY IN BOSTON by

This dissertation examines the role that residential conversion activity plays in urban housing markets. The addition of dwelling units to existing residential buildings is analyzed at several different levels. First, the supply and demand for converted units are described at the national level. Second, the role of the reg-ulatory process is explored, especially in older urban areas such as Boston. Finally, the importance of conversions in local housing markets will be examined through a socio-economic analysis of conversions in owner-occupied housing in three Boston neighbor-hoods: Allston-Brighton, Jamaica Plain and the South End. Data from the U.S. Census Bureau's Components of Inventory Change and Annual Housing Survey, are used to show the characteristics and nationwide distribution of residential conversions. Converted units are smaller and more likely to be rented by tenants with lower in