COVID-19 and housing. Experiences of confined families with children under four years old at home

Abstract

COVID-19 has brought a number of situations such as home office, unemployment, illness, cessation of face-to-face educational activities, etc., which generate psychosocial problems and increase the social gap between people in vulnerability situation. Housing is one of the pillars that can generate greater inequalities and increase it in a confined context. The goal of this study is to know the condition of housing and the experiences of families with children under four years old during the confinement in Spain. This research analyses 83 responses received from a questionnaire carried out during the third week after the end of the alarm state. The design of this survey is based on the 682 responses collected during the first weeks of the quarantine produced by COVID-19. The families give greater value to housing, due the centrality it occupies in their daily life. This study demonstrates the need to prevent and face future crises by incorporating psychosocial measures adapted to these new realities.