Parents’ stress from living in poor quality and unstable homes takes a toll on children’s well-being…

A home is their haven, but for families living with leaking roofs and roaches, for those who have to choose between paying for rent or for food, or for families who repeatedly move in search of higher quality or more affordable housing, one’s place of refuge may not be very homey. This brief examines how housing characteristics matter to children and families’ well-being. Among the various possibilities tested, poor housing quality was the most consistent and strongest predictor of emotional and behavioral problems in low-income children and youth. It also had a sizable association with school performance among older youth. Housing affected children because the stress of living in unhealthy and unsafe conditions affected parenting.