Forced housing mobility and mental wellbeing: evidence from Australia

ViforJ, Rachel Ong; Hewton, Jack; Bawa, Sherry; Singh, Ranjodh

doi:10.1080/19491247.2022.2059845

Cited by 9 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 41 publications

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“…However, this will only meet one-fifth of current unmet demand from public housing waitlist applicants. Other policy solutions will need to be added to the mix, including promoting business sector involvement in expanding social and affordable housing (SGS Economics and Planning 2022), incentivising landlords to offer longer-term secure leases to vulnerable households renting in the private rental sector (Wood et al 2017), and reforming tenancy laws that exacerbate precariousness in housing conditions for renters such as provisions for 'no grounds' evictions (Ong ViforJ et al 2022). More generally, systemwide increases to housing supply and relaxation of planning policies where they are restrictive can improve affordability and tenure security outcomes of vulnerable population groups.…”

Section: Policy Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Australia’s Housing System and Intergenerational Sustainability

ViforJ¹

2023

More Than Fiscal: The Intergenerational Report, Sustainability and Public Policy in Australia

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In the context of housing, intergenerational sustainability is related to the ability to meet the housing needs of the current generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.• There are clear changes emerging that signal threats to intergenerational sustainability in the Australian housing system, thereby also impacting inter-and intra-generational equity as well as the retirement income system more generally. • Most elderly retirees are likely to continue to be securely positioned in outright ownership, but younger generations face a much more precarious housing future. • Today's young people are postponing their first home purchase, but the downward trend in home ownership rates among the young also reflects structural factors that hinder access to home ownership. • Larger numbers of future retirees will spend their retirement as renters or mortgagors, calling into question the adequacy of the age pension for future retirees. Commonwealth Rent Assistance to increase its adequacy and targeting, and growth to the supply of social housing. • To prevent further polarisation in the housing system between the old and the young, between current and future retirees, and between the asset-rich and asset-poor, there is a clear need to widen the policy focus beyond home ownership to promoting housing security and affordability across all tenures and for all generations.1 Real values are expressed at December 2021 price levels. See note under Figure 7.1.

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Section: Policy Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Australia’s Housing System and Intergenerational Sustainability

ViforJ¹

2023

More Than Fiscal: The Intergenerational Report, Sustainability and Public Policy in Australia

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“…Eight out of 22 studies examined housing insecurity broadly, including not only renters but also other housing tenures such as homeowners, while analyzing renters separately in at least one analysis. Six studies identified their (sub-)samples as private renters (Baker, Lester, et al, 2020;Bentley et al, 2016;Mason et al, 2013;Reeves et al, 2016;ViforJ et al, 2022) and two as public renters (Baker, Lester, et al, 2020;Prentice & Scutella, 2020). Moreover, a number of studies examined specific population groups, such as low-income renter households (for more details see Table 1 and Table 2.…”

Section: Study Characteristicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Specifically, Leifheit et al (2021) and Ali and Wehby (2022) observed a positive association between the eviction moratorium implemented in the U.S. in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and improved mental health of renters. Additionally, three studies found that experiencing forced mobility (C. Vásquez-Vera et al, 2022;ViforJ et al, 2022), or a higher frequency of moves (A. Li et al, 2022), respectively, were associated with a negative impact on the mental health of private renters in Australia and Spain.…”

Section: Housing Instability and Mental Healthmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Six studies identified their (sub-)samples as private renters (Baker, Lester, et al, 2020; Bentley et al, 2016; A. Li et al, 2022; Mason et al, 2013; Reeves et al, 2016; ViforJ et al, 2022) and two as public renters (Baker, Lester, et al, 2020; Prentice & Scutella, 2020). Moreover, a number of studies examined specific population groups, such as low-income renter households (for more details see Table 1 and Table 2.…”

Section: Evidence Synthesismentioning

confidence: 99%

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Exploring the association between housing insecurity and mental health among renters: A systematic review

Talmatzky,

Nohr,

Knaevelsrud

et al. 2023

Preprint

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Adverse social and economic conditions negatively impact mental health and well-being. The present systematic review is the first to investigate the association between housing insecurity and mental health outcomes among renters, with a focus on housing affordability and instability. We followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. A comprehensive search was conducted in December 2022 across four databases (MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Web of Science, and ASSIA). Quantitative studies from OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) member countries were eligible for inclusion if they investigated housing insecurity by examining at least one independent variable related to housing affordability and/or instability, and included at least one mental health-related outcome among adult renters. Due to heterogeneity of the identified studies, we performed a narrative synthesis. Twenty-two studies met the inclusion criteria, of which 14 applied a longitudinal design, five a cross-sectional design, and three a quasi-experimental design. Among the nine studies examining housing affordability, six reported significant associations between unaffordable rent and poor mental health in low-income renters. Regarding housing instability, 12 out of 14 studies reported significant associations between unstable housing and renters’ mental health issues. Measures of housing insecurity varied, with rent-to-income ratio and forced moves being most commonly employed. Mental health outcomes focused primarily on overall mental health, well-being, and depressive symptoms, while few studies explored other mental health outcomes. The findings suggest that experiencing unaffordable or unstable housing has a negative impact on renters’ overall mental health and depressive symptoms. Housing insecurity poses a significant challenge for renters in OECD countries, highlighting the need for policymakers to implement supportive housing policies and tenure protection measures in order to improve renters’ housing security and ultimately public health.

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“…Our primary indicator of housing insecurity was self-reported housing payment problems, defined as living in a household that fell behind on rent or mortgage payments at any time in the past 12 months. As a secondary exposure we examined forced mobility, defined as having moved residence in the past 12 months either explicitly due to eviction or repossession, or any other move made by those who had reported difficulty paying rent or mortgage during the year 28 .…”

Section: Exposurementioning

confidence: 99%

Housing insecurity and health: a marginal structural model analysis of the impact of housing payment problems and forced moves on mental health, sleep and hypertension in UK adults, 2009-2019

Mason,

Alexiou,

et al. 2023

Preprint

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BackgroundHousing insecurity is an escalating problem in the UK. Limited empirical evidence exists from which to draw reliable causal inferences about the impact of insecure housing on health. Using nationally representative panel data and causally focussed methods, we examined the effect of insecure housing on mental health, sleep disturbance and cardiovascular health, during a period of government austerity.MethodsWe used longitudinal survey data (2009-2019) from the UK Household Longitudinal Study. Health outcomes included probable common mental disorder; sleep disturbance due to worry; and new diagnoses of hypertension. The primary exposure was housing payment problems in the past 12 months. Using doubly robust marginal structural models) with inverse probability of treatment weights, we estimated absolute and relative health effects of housing payment problems, and population attributable fractions. We performed stratified analyses to assess potentially heterogeneous impacts across the population, and the potential modifying effects of austerity measures in the UK.FindingsThe average absolute effect of housing payment problems was a 2.5 percentage point increased risk of experiencing a common mental disorder (95% CI 1.1%, 3.8%) and 2.0% increased risk of sleep disturbance (95% CI 0.7%, 3.3%). Effects were larger among renters, younger people, less educated, and households with children. Effects were also larger among people living in areas most affected by austerity-related cuts to housing support services. Evidence for a cardiovascular health impact was weak (95% CI -0.1%, 1.2%).InterpretationHousing payment problems were associated with worse mental health and sleep disturbance in a large UK sample. Households at risk of falling into rent or mortgage arrears need more support, especially in areas where housing services have been diminished. Rapid and substantial investment is needed to improve supply of social and affordable housing.

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Forced housing mobility and mental wellbeing: evidence from Australia

Cited by 9 publications

References 41 publications

Australia’s Housing System and Intergenerational Sustainability

Australia’s Housing System and Intergenerational Sustainability

Exploring the association between housing insecurity and mental health among renters: A systematic review

Housing insecurity and health: a marginal structural model analysis of the impact of housing payment problems and forced moves on mental health, sleep and hypertension in UK adults, 2009-2019

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