In Plain Sight: How Visible Housing Inequalities Shape Fairness Beliefs

This study investigates whether visible changes in housing inequality shape citizens’ perceptions of fairness and economic legitimacy. We build on the argument that housing inequality differs from other forms of inequality because it combines a clear winner–loser dynamic with high local visibility. To test this mechanism, we design a survey experiment among London residents. Participants are randomly assigned to a control group or a treatment group that views paired Google Street View images (2008 vs. 2022) of their own borough’s main street. These side-by-side photographs show how areas have transformed, for example through luxury developments and refurbishment. The treatment thus provides a visual “shock” that raises the salience of local inequality and makes it tangible. Following exposure, participants answer questions about perceived inequality, fairness beliefs, housing and redistribution policy preferences, and voting intentions. The design allows us to assess whether visible housing transformations increase skepticism toward meritocratic explanations of economic inequality and heighten support for redistribution. The study offers a novel, ecologically grounded way to link spatial inequality to fairness beliefs.