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Policy & Action

Housing

children in the United States have experienced unstable housing
0 %
cost of avoidable health and education costs attributed to housing instability over ten years
$ 0 B
low-income people would benefit if housing assistance was expanded to serve all qualifying households
0 M

The Importance of Stable Housing

Housing instability affects the health and well-being of children and families. When families fall behind on rent, are forced to move multiple times, and/or experience homelessness, infants and toddlers are placed at an increased risk of being in poor health and not meeting developmental milestones. This creates a “housing opportunity gap” with long-lasting ripple e­ffects in our healthcare, education, and economic systems.

Our Research Findings

  • Housing instability among families with young children is estimated to cost $111 billion in avoidable costs in health care and special education over 10 years.
  • Families with a history of evictions are 5 times more likely to experience homelessness, 3 to 4 times more likely to experience other forms of housing instability, and more likely to have children in fair or poor health.
  • 1 in 6 children in the United States has experienced unstable housing.
  • Infants from food-insecure families (vulnerable, low-income families with complex needs) who were eligible for rental assistance but did not receive it were more likely to be hospitalized than infants from similar families who did receive rental assistance.
  • Children who experienced cost-driven moves in the past year were more likely to have lost WIC, SNAP, and Medicaid benefits than children who stayed in place.
  • The estimated total annual cost of hospitalizations attributable to homelessness among children age four and under in 2015 alone was over $238 million (in 2015 dollars) nationally, with more than half of those costs associated with hospitalizations of infants under the age of one 

Our Research Findings

  • Housing instability among families with young children is estimated to cost $111 billion in avoidable costs in health care and special education over 10 years.
  • Families with a history of evictions are 5 times more likely to experience homelessness, 3 to 4 times more likely to experience other forms of housing instability, and more likely to have children in fair or poor health.
  • 1 in 6 children in the United States experienced unstable housing.
  • Infants from food-insecure families (vulnerable, low-income families with complex needs) who were eligible for rental assistance but did not receive it were more likely to be hospitalized than infants from similar families who did receive rental assistance.
    Children who experienced cost-driven moves in the past year were more likely to have lost WIC, SNAP, and Medicaid benefits than children who stayed in place.

Policy Priorities

Safe, stable, and affordable housing is the essential foundation for child health and development and overall family well-being. However, across the country, the combination of increasing housing costs, inadequate supply of affordable housing, and stagnant wages place many families at risk of housing instability. When families face unstable housing – including behind on rent, forced or multiple times, eviction, and/or experience homelessness – it can be harmful in both the short and long term. Similarly, the ability to afford utilities – including heating and cooling – are a critical component of safe housing.

Housing and energy assistance programs play a critical role in addressing housing stability and its negative impacts on health and well-being. To maximize their effect, we must expand access, ensure benefits meet family choice and keep pace with rising housing costs, and invest in the production and preservation of safe, affordable homes. Meaningful progress also requires broader investment and strategies that strengthen housing supports, address the root causes of housing instability, and advance equity.

Policy Goals

Children’s HealthWatch proudly serves on the Steering Committee of the Opportunity Starts at Home Campaign, partnering with leading national partners across sectors to advance these policy goals. 

  • Bridge the gap between income and housing costs. 
  • Expand and preserve the supply of affordable, accessible housing. 
  • Provide emergency rental and utility assistance to households in crisis. 
  • Strengthen and enforce renter protections and anti-discrimination laws.
  • Safeguard housing programs from policy changes that will further limit accessibility of the programs.
  • Maximize annual investment in the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) to help families with low incomes afford energy costs and prevent utility shutoff.
  • Promote and invest in opportunities to streamline enrollment and eligibility across public assistance programs.

Peer-Reviewed Publications

Research & Policy Briefs

Action

Congress should move forward two bills that would support housing stability for families and young children:

The Family Stability and Opportunity Act makes critical investments in families with young children by creating 500,000 Opportunity Vouchers – also known as “mobility vouchers”. 

Eviction Crisis Act would create new federal resources and strengthen legal protections to prevent and combat eviction.

Share your thoughts and any of our resources with your members of Congress.  Simply call or email them to encourage them to prioritize nutrition for the health and well-being of young kids. 

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