unit 2 - housing quality and stability Flashcards
four pathways linking housing to health
- stability
- safety and quality
- affordability
- neighborhood
housing instability
“living in housing that is unaffordable, low
quality, and overcrowded, and is located in neighborhoods
with high rates of crime and poverty, and/or lacking job
opportunities”
* Can also be in the form of eviction or foreclosure
* Not a condition – but a cause of poverty
stability pathway
- People who are chronically homeless > higher morbidity
- Housing instability (frequently
moving, “couch surfing” > more likely to experience poor
health - Residential instability > health problems among youth
housing instability and health effects
- Homelessness, frequent moves, and being behind on rent
- Lower caregiver and child health levels, material hardship
- Maternal depression
- Increased lifetime chance of hospitalizations
- Eviction
- Poor mental health, depression, and material hardship
who is most at risk
- low-income families with children
- those experiencing homelessness
- people subject to discrimination
- LGBTQ individuals
- victims of domestic violence
safety and quality pathway
- Substandard housing
- Water leaks
- Poor ventilation
- Dirty carpets
- Pest infestation
- Presence of lead
- Overcrowding
unsafe housing and health effects
- Unsafe structures - injury
- Poor ventilation and climate control
- Exposure to pesticides, lead, radon, carbon monoxide, and mold
- Poorly designed homes – risky for older adults and contribute to
falls - Exposure to harmful chemicals and toxins – interfere with brain
development, neurological and cognitive development, and
increase risk of cancers, respiratory ailments, and death
affordability pathway
- Up to 50 percent of income is spent on housing, with much of this burden on renters rather than owners (cost-
burdened) - Americans may choose to live in neighborhoods that promote health
but….
if high percentage of income is spent on housing, lack of funds to be spent on food, medications, delay in obtaining
necessary medical care
neighborhood pathway
- Availability of public transportation, grocery stores with nutritious food, safe places to exercise > improved
health outcomes - High volume roads > increased rates of respiratory diseases
- Consideration of social characteristics such as crime,
segregation, and social capital
housing discrimination and health
- Policies, such as redlining, restrict opportunities for low-
income families - With limited options, families often move to
neighborhoods with poor conditions - Low-performing schools
- Lack of access to healthy food
- Poor-quality housing
- Exposure to crime and violence
discriminatory housing and development policies and health effects
“Redlining” = Lenders that refuse to lend money or extend credit to borrowers in certain areas of town occupied by people in poverty, of color, or both
ex: Cleveland
People that formerly lived in redlined area had higher rates of exposure to lead and toxic waste; higher infant mortality rates, and 15-year reduction in life expectancy
fair housing act - 1968
- Incorporated into the Civil Rights Act of 1968
- The Fair Housing Act protects people from discrimination when
they are renting or buying a home, getting a mortgage, seeking
housing assistance, or engaging in other housing-related activities.
Additional protections apply to federally-assisted housing. - Prohibits discrimination in housing based on:
- Race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, disability
evaluating the research
- Research is not distributed evenly among the four pathways
- Research reported more health impacts than cost impacts for
health systems, payers, or society - Americans are spending a high percentage of income on housing
and not investing in the future - Deeper examination of U.S. housing policies
policy implications
- Addressing the complex relationship between housing and health
needs a multi-sectoral approach: - Health care sector
- Private sector
- Community development
- Health-related foundations
- Policy development and revisions
conclusion
- Access to safe, stable, affordable housing in well-resourced
housing has led to reduced chronic and infectious disease rates - Affordable housing leaves families and individuals with more
money to spend on necessities - A lack of affordable housing leads to lengthy and costly commutes,
scarcity of work and educational opportunities, and social isolation - An expanded role of the government is needed
