Double Indemnity or Double Delight? The Health Consequences of Shared Housing and “Doubling Up”

Abstract

With “doubling up” and shared housing increasing in the United States, it is time to revisit and reconsider the research literature on the physical, psychological, social, and economic health consequences of these living conditions; and to consider how specific social and physical environmental factors of shared housing may foster or deter healthy living situations for various household arrangements. In this light, this article examines the existing research in order to identify critical constructs and factors, and to craft research questions that can best guide future investigations of homesharing in a direction that points towards viable and healthy housing solutions, particularly for those in transitional life stages.