Subsidized Relocation and the Willingness to Move: Evidence From the Targeted Poverty Alleviation Project in China

Shuai Zhou , Pennsylvania State University
Guangqing Chi, Pennsylvania State University
Brian Thiede, Pennsylvania State University
Zhen Lei, Pennsylvania State University
Huanguang Qiu, Renmin University of China

Relocation has been employed to tackle varieties of social problems. Nevertheless, the willingness towards relocation and its impact on the subsequent actions movers will take remain unclear. This study aims at examining the determinants underlying the relocation decision-making process and the mover’s return frequency after relocation. Using data from a two-wave survey conducted in 2016 and 2017 from the participants in the Targeted Poverty Alleviation Project in China, we found that households with larger land holdings were less likely to relocate; on the contrary, the distance to paved roads and educational institutions serve as push factors that increased the probability of relocation. The frequency of returning to the place of origin was associated with left-behind family members and livestock values, whereas time consumption in returning will significantly decrease the return frequency. Combined together, the preliminary results demonstrate two different pathways naturally embedded in the relocation process that could determine the actual policy effectiveness.

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 Presented in Session 171. Temporary and Circular Migration