Homelessness as One Component of Housing Instability and Its Impact on the Development of Children in Poverty

Housing and Family Well-being

“…Exploring various factors in uencing high school completion rates, one study found that disrupting the physical location of a young child (7 years or younger) or an adolescent (12-15) "has a strong negative and signi cant effect on achievement" (Haveman et al, 1991, p. 144;see also US General Accounting Of ce, 1994). In another study, researchers concluded that "instability impacts the emotional, behavioral, and cognitive development of children with homelessness exacerbating that impact" (Schmitz et al, 1995 also underscored the signi cant contribution of residential stability as a key neighbourhood factor contributing to the positive effects of home ownership on children's outcomes.…”

Residential Transience, Major Depressive Episodes, and the Risk of Suicidal Thoughts, Plans, and Attempts

“…One potential risk factor for suicide that has received some investigation is residential instability. Residential instability is a vague construct that can include homelessness (Breakey & Fischer, ; Schmitz, Wagner, & Menke, ), residential transience (i.e., frequent moving; Suglia, Duarte, & Sandel, ), and financial struggles leading to uncertainty and stress in maintaining housing (Reid, Vittinghoff, & Kushel, ). Several studies have identified significant associations between general residential instability and suicidal ideation among children and adolescents (Thompson et al., ) and suicide completions among adolescents (Brent et al., ); however, because there is also a known relationship between residential instability and depression (Davey‐Rothwell, German, & Latkin, ), the independent or interactive effects of residential stability and depression on suicide are unclear.…”

An Introduction

“…Contemporary education reform efforts are challenged by what have been referred to as the "new morbidities"-poor nutrition, unsafe sex, drug and alcohol abuse, familial and community violence, teenage pregnancy and parenting, lack of job skills, inadequate access to health care, and homelessness (Dryfoos, 1990;Lerner, 1995). Children who live in poverty; who fear violence in their school, home, or neighborhood; whose attachments to parents have been seriously disrupted; and who lack the social skills required for productive interactions are severely challenged both academically and socially (Eckenrode, Laird, & Doris, 1993;Furstenberg, Cook, Eccles, Elder, & Sameroff, 1999;Schmitz, Wagner, & Menke, 1995;Warner & Weist, 1996). Improving academic achievement is a complex process, and schools cannot accomplish the goals of education reform alone (Riley, 1998).…”