Rental Assistance and Adult Self-Rated Health

Abstract

Rental assistance, in the form of vouchers and project-based subsidized housing, is a primary source of aff ordable housing for low-income Americans, given a growing and severe shortage of private-market rental units. However, due to supply constraints, fewer than one in four eligible households receive this kind of assistance. In this paper, we examine associations between receipt of rental assistance and self-rated health among a sample of 400 low-income adults in one U.S. city. We fi nd that individuals who currently receive rental assistance have lower odds of reporting poor or fair self-rated health than individuals who are currently on rental assistance waiting lists. Th ese relationships persist aft er adjusting for factors that aff ect access to rental assistance and are not signifi cantly modifi ed by criminal justice history. Our fi ndings suggest that the current unmet need for rental assistance may contribute to poor health among low-income Americans.

The Benefits of Rental Assistance for Children's Health and School Attendance in the United States

“…Given that families who receive rental assistance tend to be an extremely disadvantaged subset of the U.S. population ( Foster and Rojas 2018 ; Helms et al 2017 ), greater investments in affordable and stable housing represent a valuable policy lever for reducing inequalities in child health. These results are consistent with other recent evidence suggesting that rental assistance provides a health benefit for both children and adults ( Boudreaux et al 2020 ; Fenelon et al 2018 ; Keene et al 2020 ).…”

Eviction, Health Inequity, and the Spread of COVID-19: Housing Policy as a Primary Pandemic Mitigation Strategy

“…Moratoria are critical emergency measures to control the spread of COVID-19 and protect renters from eviction and associated harms, including the immediate risk of infection. With supportive legal and financial measures, such as rental assistance [105], eviction diversion programs [106], and civil right to counsel [107], states and localities are better able to protect vulnerable residents from eviction. Rental assistance programs can eliminate accumulated rental debt, reduce rent burdens, and increase housing stability, especially among low-income renters who have experienced COVID-19-related job or income loss [108].…”

A longitudinal analysis of the relationship between housing insecurity and physical health among midlife and aging adults in the United States

“…Further research into the health impacts and racial/ethnic disparities of COVID-19-related housing insecurity and the formulation of effective interventions and countermeasures to reduce housing insecurity effects on health outcomes, therefore, becomes critical. Research by Fenelon et al (2017) and Keene et al (2020) has indicated housing assistance is associated with improved reported health among low-income adults ( Lawler, 2001 ); and eviction moratoriums instated during the COVID-19 pandemic were also associated with better health among U.S. adults ( Leifheit et al, 2021 ). However, our research signals that, in the aftermath of acute economic events such as the current pandemic or economic recessions, these housing supports and benefits (i.e., more affordable housing, preventing insecurity in the first place) should be extended to midlife adults, particularly in Black communities, rather than only the elderly population to protect/preserve population health.…”