( CNN ) -- Nearly five years after the housing bubble burst , American homeowners are beginning to see signs of relief as housing markets are finally showing signs of recovery . An untold story of this recovery , however , is the extent to which it is fueled by immigration . A new analysis of U.S. Census data by Americas Society/Council of the Americas and Partnership for a New American Economy shows that immigrants have collectively added $ 3.7 trillion to U.S. housing wealth . And over the last several years , as many families in cities and rural areas from the Sun Belt to Rust Belt have seen their largest personal asset -- the home they live in -- placed in jeopardy , the inflow of immigrants has been a lifeline for them . Take Chicago . The number of U.S.-born Americans residing in Chicago and surrounding Cook County has declined by 900,000 since 1970 . Fortunately , the arrival of nearly 600,000 immigrants over the same time period has offset most of that decline -- and most likely kept additional natives from leaving -- blunting what could have been a catastrophe for the local housing market . Similar stories exist all around the country . The U.S. Census data show that in Harris County , Texas , which includes Houston , the influx of immigrants between 2000 and 2010 added more than $ 25,000 to the value of the average home . In Maricopa County , Arizona , which is home to staunch immigration opponent Sheriff Joe Arpaio , immigration added $ 18,000 to local home prices over the period . Immigrants are a boon for the housing market in three ways . First , their demand for affordable housing renewed the local housing markets . This , coupled with increased demands for locally produced goods and services once they establish themselves , stimulates their neighborhood 's economy . Second , and relatedly , as immigrants stimulate economic life in affordable neighborhoods , they attract more U.S.-born people to those neighborhoods , further bolstering home values . For every 1,000 immigrants who move to a county , 250 U.S.-born people eventually follow , drawn by the new economic opportunities that have been created . Third , immigrants help stabilize neighborhoods that have gone into decline , helping these previously blighted neighborhoods become viable alternatives for middle- and working-class Americans . Importantly , because immigrants tend to gravitate to areas with cheaper housing costs , they create wealth in the housing market without contributing to the pricing out of the middle class from more desirable neighborhoods , especially in large metropolitan areas . Immigrants and the housing market is just one chapter in the larger story of their role in helping our economy to grow . In health care , for example , the en masse retirement of Baby Boomers creates increased demand for professionals ranging from physicians and surgeons to home health aides . Immigrants are critical for taking care of our elderly , and for filling the jobs needed to sustain our overall health care industry . The same holds true in housing . Because immigrants move into areas where housing is cheaper and neighborhoods are more on the edge , they revitalize those neighborhoods . We 've seen that across New York City , from Washington Heights in Northern Manhattan to Flushing and Corona in Queens to Sunset Park in Brooklyn . Encouraging the stability and growth of the U.S. housing market is a fundamental aspect of ensuring a solid economy . So is ensuring U.S. industries have access to a productive , diverse and flexible workforce with the right skills to grow and prosper . Immigration is essential to achieving both of these goals and is thus essential to the future of the United States . With the future of immigration reform in the hands of the House of Representatives , this new research gives added momentum for why we need a bipartisan agreement that reflects many of the basic compromises of the Senate bill . As a country we can not afford to refuse to modernize and reform our immigration system . Turning away those who could help us build a stronger and more dynamic community and nation would be blind to our economic needs . Now is the time for immigration reform . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the writers .
Writers : The housing recovery fueled by immigrants moving in as U.S. born move out . They say immigrants ' need for affordable housing revives local housing markets . Writers : They buy goods and services , revive neighborhoods , work crucial jobs . Writers : We need immigration reform , to help build a more dynamic economy and nation .