Lack of stable, safe housing can impact a person’s overall well-being. Where someone lives impacts their physical and mental health. It can determine whether they have access to work, education, food, health-care and other resources. Unsafe housing can be deteriorating, have pests, mold or be overcrowded.
Housing instability can look like living on the street or in a vehicle (not by choice), falling behind on mortgage payments or rent, eviction, foreclosure, being forced to frequently move or couch surfing.
The cost of housing can be so high, that some pay more than fifty percent of their income on rent or a mortgage. This burden affects their ability to afford other necessities such as food, utilities or health care costs.
Housing and Health
The above factors can have a negative impact on health. When a basic need like housing isn’t met, it is difficult to maintain one’s health.
The stress of not being able to afford rent or find a safe place to live can cause anxiety. A decline in mental health can create a cycle where it may be difficult to maintain a job to be able to afford adequate housing while also, those with mental health issues can be discriminated against when searching for housing.
Those with housing instability may be forced to live in areas with poor air or water quality. Low-income housing (where many experiencing housing instability live) is often near industrial areas, highways, rail yards or environmentally contaminated areas that emit air pollutants. Increased incidents of asthma and premature death occur in these areas.
Those in low-income areas may also be exposed to more water contaminants. One example is Flint, Michigan where there is a lack of affordable housing and over 34% of its residents live in poverty. Flint has been struggling with poor water quality for nearly a decade. Lead poisoning in Flint’s water has caused an increase in fetal deaths and more full-term babies born with low birth weight. Flint’s children had an increase in cognitive impairments, impaired hearing and behavioral problems.
Mold is often seen in low-income housing. It increases the incidents of asthma, sinus-related problems and can irritate skin conditions.
Lack of stable housing can cause overcrowding as too many people share space. This can lead to anxiety or rising tempers as people lack privacy and their own space to relax.
How Housing Instability Affects Children
Children in unstable housing not only experience more physical health affects like lead poisoning and asthma, but it affects other areas of their lives. Their schooling can be affected. It’s hard to focus on homework if you share a crowded, noisy apartment and have no quiet place to work. The stress of not being in the same place every night affects children’s ability to focus on schoolwork. Developing friendships can be difficult if a child is moving frequently or unable to have friends over.
Children are affected by the stress of their parents. When parents are experiencing chronic stress due to housing instability, that is sensed by their children. Children experiencing housing instability have higher rates of depression and anxiety.
One study by the American Academy of Pediatrics showed that teens who experienced housing instability earlier in childhood, but were stable later on, still reported worse health. Studies like this indicate the importance of having stable housing in early childhood.
What Can Be Done?
Community led-interventions can help redevelop blighted neighborhoods and lobby policy makers to commit to creating affordable housing.
During well-child visits, pediatricians can help screen families experiencing housing crises and guide them to helpful community resources.
Expanding low-income housing tax credits to developers to stimulate the expansion of affordable housing can help reduce housing instability.
With proper interventions we can hopefully see a decline in housing instability and an increase in health outcomes for those in that demographic.
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