Children’s HealthWatch research on the consequences for families who are behind on their rent was featured in the Boston Globe.
Cut by cut, we chip away at future for many kids
It’s easy to imagine that quite a few of the one in four renters who pay more than half their income for housing are at risk of becoming homeless . Some may be joining the other 4,000 families in Massachusetts who stay in state-funded shelters or motels. Some might spend nights on a relative’s or friend’s couch until the welcome wears thin, or might return to an abusive situation if they have nowhere else to turn.
What is less obvious, according to Children’s HealthWatch, are the consequences for families who are behind on their rent because there is not enough money for all their survival expenses. Nutritious food, or even food itself, is often sparse. Children are at risk of delays in development and being below average in height. Mothers have higher levels of depression.
