May 23, 2025 | by Michael Wilt
Categories: Affordable Housing, Housing Matters, Rental Housing
An unstable housing environment can be detrimental to children's health and educational outcomes while the quality of housing can be harmful to their economic prospects. These findings were recently summarized in a piece published by Housing Matters that details the ways housing instability and the quality of housing can negatively impact children's development.
The piece notes that housing instability is commonly linked to higher rates of depression, anxiety and aggression among elementary school childen up to young adulthood. Moreover, children aged 2 to 17 who were in a household on a public housing wait list had worse mental health outcomes than their peers who were stably housed in public housing.
Risk of homelessness or moving frequently also poses a risk to children's health. This is particulary problematic for infants who are more likely to have health issues and increased hospitilization and emergency room visits if they have experienced homelessness.
Evictions can be particularly harmful to children's educational prospects. The Housing Matters story highlights a report that studied 5,000 children and found that children who were in a household that had an eviction suffered significantly lower cognitive scores than their peers who were stably housed.
But even just moving can lead to lower academic performance. If that move also includes a change in school district, it can be especially detrimental.
The two primary housing quality risk factors for children's economic prospects are exposure to pollutants and overcrowding. Children exposed to environmental toxins are more likely to need academic support services, and lead exposure can negatively impact a child's academic performance.
The effects of overcrowding (more than 2.5 people per bedroom) can lead to lower language and math scores for children. Beyond that, the impacts can be long term as children who live in an overcrowded household are less likely to graduate high school.
While low quality housing can harm a child's economic prospects, quality and stable housing can increase them. This is particularly true for households that received a voucher or housing assistance. The housing stability that provides can lead to increased earnings into adulthood and better long-term economic prospects.
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