Intervening in the cycle of poverty, poor housing and poor health: the role of housing providers in enhancing tenants’ mental wellbeing

Abstract

Poverty, poor housing and poor health are complexly interconnected in a cycle that has proven resistant to intervention by housing providers or policy makers. Research often focuses on the impacts of the physical housing defects, particularly upon rates of (physical) illness and disease. There has been comparatively little research into the ways in which housing services can underpin the generation of positive health and, especially, wellbeing. Drawing on qualitative data from 75 tenants in the social and private rented sectors, this paper describes the findings of a research project that tracked tenants’ experiences across their first year in a new tenancy in Greater Glasgow, Scotland. The project collected data on tenants’ perceptions of housing and housing service quality, financial coping and health and wellbeing, which was analysed using the principles of Realist Evaluation to elucidate impacts and causal pathways. Being able to establish a sense of home was key to tenants’ wellbeing. The home provided many tenants with a recuperative space in which to shelter from daily stressors and was a source of autonomy and social status. A sense of home was underpinned by aspects of the housing service, property quality and affordability which are potentially amenable to intervention by housing providers. These findings raise questions about the extent to which social housing providers and the private rental market in the UK are able to meet the needs of vulnerable tenants. They suggest that approaches to housing provision that go beyond providing a basic dwelling are needed to successfully intervene in the cycle of poverty, poor housing and poor health.

Psychosocial exposome and double precarity as emergent concepts for an old story

“…It is rather consensual that housing and employment are pivotal structures for the satisfaction of fundamental psychological needs, and subjective and psychological wellbeing. As Garnham et al (2021) highlight, poverty, poor housing, and poor health (mental and physical health), are heavily interwoven. Growing scientific literature places insecure employment as associated with poorer mental health (Bentley et al, 2019).…”

“…Housing stability is a highly relevant determinant of positive well-being. It has been found that tenants' financial stability and resilience to overcome unstable economic-real-estate markets undermine individuals' sense of home (Garnham et al, 2021). This is understandable because this sense of home depends, and is implied on individuals' identity formation, sense of privacy, comfort, and stability (Garnham et al, 2021).…”

Do the Determinants of Mental Wellbeing Vary by Housing Tenure Status? Secondary Analysis of a 2017 Cross-Sectional Residents Survey in Cornwall, South West England

“…‘Place’ is important because those living in very low income areas can feel poorly served by local services, regardless of the tenure of their housing, this can then lead to a feelings of abandonment and isolation from other people living in the neighbourhood and, hence, poor health and wellbeing [ 9 ]. Consequently, there have been questions about the extent to which the private and social rental sectors should provide homes, not just houses [ 32 , 33 ]. Garnham et al [ 32 ] (p. 1) found that, in Glasgow, for renters, a home was a ‘recuperative space in which to shelter from daily stressors and was a source of autonomy and social status’, which was underpinned by the ‘housing service, property quality and affordability’.…”

“…Consequently, there have been questions about the extent to which the private and social rental sectors should provide homes, not just houses [ 32 , 33 ]. Garnham et al [ 32 ] (p. 1) found that, in Glasgow, for renters, a home was a ‘recuperative space in which to shelter from daily stressors and was a source of autonomy and social status’, which was underpinned by the ‘housing service, property quality and affordability’. Consequently, living in a safe, well maintained, and affordable home, as well as social connections with others in the community and employment, are key contributors to mental wellbeing.…”

Private renters in shared housing: investigating housing conditions and mental well-being in Australia during COVID-19

“…This paper thus aims to investigate a) whether private renters in shared living arrangements had better or worse mental well-being outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic compared with other household types, and b) to what extent housing conditions contributed to mental well-being outcomes in shared living arrangements. Poor rental housing conditions undermine tenants’ feelings of home, which in turn, have negative effects on mental well-being (Garnham et al, 2022 ). Given the increased time at home and mental health impacts of the pandemic, it is important to study how the impact of housing conditions may be exacerbated by this major event.…”