Housing Cost Burden Research Articles

Effect of Housing Support Programs on Residential Satisfaction and the Housing Cost Burden: Analysis of the Effect of Housing Support Programs in Korea Based on Household Attributes

Korea is implementing housing support programs such as public rental housing and housing allowances to improve the housing welfare of low-income households. In this study, we empirically analyzed the effects of the public rental housing program and the housing allowance program on residential satisfaction and the housing cost burden of policy beneficiaries. In accordance with household attributes, we analyzed how the status of using these programs affected each group’s residential satisfaction and housing cost burden. We used the data from the 2020 Korea Housing Survey conducted by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. We examined the housing support programs’ effects on each of the following household groups: all households, one-person households, households of newlywed couples, young adult households, and households of the elderly. The status of residing in public rental housing positively affected the residential satisfaction among all households, one-person households, and households of the elderly. It reduced the housing cost burden for all household types. The status of receiving the housing allowance negatively affected the residential satisfaction for all households and increased the housing cost burden for young adult households. We present policy implications for future housing support programs based on the findings.

Trends in housing markets during the economic crisis and Covid-19 pandemic: Turkish case

The recent global economic crisis and pandemic have shown that housing markets are highly exposed to the prevailing economic and social circumstances. Relevant literature indicates that housing output and transaction volumes were negatively affected during the Covid-19 pandemic. In contrast, price levels displayed variations under different circumstances shaped by demand shifts. Housing affordability conditions also deteriorated and household budgets were squeezed by the high housing cost burden due to the loss of livelihood and increased time spent at home during lockdowns. In the Turkish case, a severe economic crisis in 2018/19 preceded the Covid-19 pandemic. Housing output, housing prices, and the unemployment rate were much more affected by the economic crisis than by the pandemic. Spatial variation in the changes in the supply level was not homogeneous throughout the country. Lower supply levels were observed in the southern and south-eastern parts of the country and the major employment centres. However, compared to the international tendencies, total demand for housing increased, raising the housing transaction volume to record-high levels. In addition, housing prices during the pandemic skyrocketed, accompanied by increasing inflation rates. Furthermore, a demand shift towards single-family houses was observed, and the price gap between single-family houses and flats has widened since the pandemic began. The investment function of housing became prominent once again for wealthier households during the high inflation periods observed during the pandemic. The major conclusion drawn from this study is that the housing market deepened the existing inequalities in society during the current pandemic.

Housing cost burden and material hardship among older adults: How do they influence psychological health?

Despite a growing body of evidence for the association between housing cost burden and psychological health, few studies have focused on the potential mediators of this association and the extent to which housing cost burden poses a threat to older adults' psychological health. This study aims to assess (a) the link between housing cost burden and psychological health among older adults and (b) how the association is mediated by material hardship. Using thirteen waves of a nationally representative longitudinal study in Korea, this study assessed the association between housing cost burden and depressive symptoms among older adults aged 65 or over. Mediation tests were conducted to identify whether material hardship explains the link between housing cost burden and depressive symptoms. We used fixed-effects models to take into account individual-level heterogeneity. Housing cost burden was significantly associated with depressive symptoms among older adults, regardless of their housing tenure status. Different types of material hardship partially mediated the association between housing cost burden and depressive symptoms in older adults. Older adults with severe housing cost burden are more susceptible to all types of material hardship compared to those with a moderate burden. To contribute further to the social causation discussions, future studies should seek to identify protective factors of depressive symptoms among older adults and other potential mechanisms of the association between older adults' socioeconomic conditions and their psychological health.

Placing U.S. Federal Housing Policy on a Secure Foundation: The SHELTER Plan

Problem, research strategy, and findings U.S. housing advocates have called for a fundamental rethinking of the nation’s federal housing policies. In this study, I examined the geographic and household-level consequences of a plan that redistributes federal income tax expenditures from homeowners to very-low-income households. I propose, defend, and illustrate the effects of the SHELTER plan, a redistributive policy that a) is revenue neutral, b) is tenure neutral, c) is progressive, d) prioritizes local redistribution, and e) targets excess revenues to affordable housing production subsidies in communities where an increase in cash-based housing assistance is most likely to inflate housing rents. I demonstrate that the savings from the elimination of four homeownership tax expenditures would provide more than enough revenue to fund a universal housing allowance for all very-low-income households. Ignoring housing market adjustments, the plan would reduce housing cost burdens for the nation’s very-low-income renters by 36% and reduce very-low-income homeowners’ cost burdens by 28%. Takeaway for practice The SHELTER plan would provide a new foundation for local affordable housing and community development practice. Very-low-income households would receive a guaranteed housing allowance with no strings attached and local planners would have new roles in the design and implementation of localized solutions to the affordable housing crisis.

Association of Race and Other Social Determinants of Health With HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Use: A County-Level Analysis Using the PrEP-to-Need Ratio.

Research is limited on the effect of racism and social determinants of health on HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) use. This study used the PrEP-to-Need Ratio (PNR), which measures PrEP prescriptions divided by HIV diagnoses in the county, to evaluate sufficient PrEP use. AIDSVu datasets were compared to county-level social determinants of health. Standardized regression coefficients (β) were compared to identify strongest associations with PNR. Overall, factors including percent African American and percent uninsured had negative correlations with PNR, whereas median household income and severe housing cost burden had positive associations. Stratifying for population size, percent African American, percent uninsured, and severe housing cost burden were significant for low population areas, whereas median household income, percent in poverty, percent uninsured, and percent African American were significant for large populations. To reduce PrEP disparities, public health must develop strategies to reach those most in need, especially historically disadvantaged communities.

Housing Cost Stress of Mortgagers and Tenants in Poland

Abstract The economic problems of mortgage takers, especially in light of the global financial crisis, is a very important issue, both from the point of view of housing policy and the stability of the banking sector. The analysis of the situation of mortgagors is usually limited to determining the percentage of mortgages in default. We compared the revealed mortgage repayment problems among Poles (arrears) with the unrevealed ones (such as high housing cost burden, inability to bear unexpected expenses), which we defined as housing cost stress. Next, we compared these problems with those of tenants at market rates. We found that, although we observe only a small percentage of mortgagors who are in arrears with their housing costs in Poland (about 3%), a large proportion of borrowers (about half of them) are in a difficult financial situation. At the same time, we noticed that their situation is still better than that of market rent tenants, because only one in five renters did not experience problems with covering housing costs. Among tenants, singles were much more likely to suffer from housing cost stress.

Differences in Perceptions of the Housing Cost Burden Among European Countries

Abstract In this article we perform a comparative analysis of the self-reported perception of the housing cost burden as an indicator of potential financial distress. We employ EU-SILC data on five European countries – France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK – for years from 2005 to 2010. Wide differences emerge between Germany, France and the UK on the one hand, and Italy and Spain on the other. Estimation of the housing cost burden by means of logit models allows us to relate the probability of a high burden to both micro and macro-economic variables and to identify differences among countries. As for socio-economic variables, our results reveal the existence of life-cycle effects and a lower burden for homeowners. As for aggregate variables, GDP growth and higher consumer confidence contribute to reducing the probability of a high burden, whereas high levels of unemployment and inequality contribute to increase it. At country level, we observe differences in the size of the impact of the explanatory variables on the probability of perceiving a high burden, especially for covariates such as age, homeownership status and education. JEL classification numbers: D12, D14, C25. Keywords: Housing cost burden, Perceived financial distress, Logit models, EU-SILC

Tourism pressure as a driver of social inequalities: a BSEM estimation of housing instability in European urban areas

There is a certain agreement in the regional economics literature on tourism development as a lever of territorial cohesion and regional convergence. Yet, evidence about its impact on social inclusion within destination regions is scant. The emerging literature placing tourism development as a driver of inequality relies mostly on qualitative methods and individual case studies, thus overlooking a cross-national perspective. In this article, we address this gap by estimating the impacts of tourism growth between 2013 and 2018 on housing instability through its effects on rents and the perceived financial burden of housing costs. Based on a combination of data sourced from Eurostat and a geo-located dataset of Airbnb listings, a Bayesian path analysis model was specified with a sample of densely populated areas in 85 European regions. Results reveal the controversial influence of tourism on urban destinations, indicating how the increase in the number of visitors may benefit mean incomes and relieve the pressure on housing costs, while at the same time, driving a higher dispersion of income and residential displacement. A clear difference is established between homeowners and tenants to this regard: the former can use the opportunities of rent extraction in the platform economy to withstand the economic pressure of tourism, while the latter are more exposed to the risk of having to leave their homes.

Housing cost burden and life satisfaction.

The share of income spent on housing varies across individuals and countries but it has been increasing over time in a wide range of countries, particularly among lower income households, rising housing affordability as a prominent challenge in higher income economies. Variations in share of income spent on housing can reflect variations in household preferences but when more than a certain level of income is spent on housing, households face tradeoffs between housing and non-housing consumption that are expected to negatively affect their overall life satisfaction. Using data from the 2018 European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC) for 14 countries we find that, controlling for household sociodemographic characteristics, households spending more than 30 percent of their income and those spending more than 50 percent of their income on housing report lower levels of life satisfaction, with the latter group reporting the lowest level. The negative relationship between housing cost burden and reported life satisfaction is found across countries but varies in magnitude, which points to the need to further investigate the mechanisms behind the association between housing cost burden and life satisfaction and the role of country-specific effects, including differences in welfare systems, in moderating this association.

The COVID-19 Pandemic Contributed to Disparities in Housing-Cost Burden Among WIC-Participating Households in the Most Populous County in California.

Affordable housing is necessary for the health and well-being of children and families. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic affected the ability of low-income families to pay for housing. The aim of this study is to evaluate associations between household characteristics of participants of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), and housing-cost burden during the pandemic. WIC is a federally-funded nutrition assistance program for low-income mothers, infants, and children up to the age of 5. Data were from a 2020 survey of a random sample of WIC households (n = 5815) in Los Angeles County. Ordinal logistic regression determined the odds of being housing-cost burdened by parent respondent’s race/ethnicity, household composition, employment, residence, and housing cost. Logistic regression determined if the pandemic contributed to the housing-cost burden. A total of 61% of households reported housing-cost burden, with two-thirds attributing the burden to the pandemic. Spanish-speaking Hispanic parents and white parents reported a higher prevalence of pandemic-related burden, while Asian, Black, and English-speaking Hispanic parents reported a higher prevalence of burden unrelated to the pandemic. Single-parent households, those experiencing residential instability, and those with high housing costs had higher odds of burden. Spanish-speaking Hispanic parents, white parents, homeowners, and those with high housing costs were more likely to attribute the burden to the pandemic. To ensure that existing inequities are not exacerbated, it is vital that housing assistance be available to low-income households that were disproportionately affected by the pandemic.

Housing Cost Burden and Well-Being in Older Adults Moderated by Neighborhood Cohesion and Disorder

Although aging in the community promotes well-being in older adults, contextual factors (e.g., housing cost burden, neighborhood cohesion, neighborhood disorder) may impact this relationship. Identifying such risk factors represents a first step toward improving older adult well-being. NHATS data (Rounds 5–8) were used to answer two research questions (RQs). RQ1: “Is housing cost burden significantly associated with well-being?” RQ2: “Is this association further moderated by neighborhood cohesion and neighborhood disorder?” Participants were 18,311 adults ≥ 65 years old. Well-being was assessed by summing 11 commonly identified indicators. Two items were merged to assess housing cost burden (categories: “no burden,” “no money for utilities,” “no money for rent,” and “no money for utilities or rent”). Neighborhood cohesion and disorder were combined (categories: “no cohesion, no disorder,” “yes cohesion, no disorder,” “no cohesion, yes disorder,” and “yes cohesion, yes disorder”). Both RQs were assessed through a random coefficient model controlling for established covariates. RQ1 results revealed that, compared to “no burden,” “no money for utilities or rent” (B = −1.22, p = .003) and “no money for rent” (B = −1.50, p = .007) were significantly associated with well-being. RQ2 results revealed that “no cohesion, no disorder” significantly moderated the association between “no money for utilities or rent” and well-being (B = −2.44, p = .011). These results indicate that increased housing cost burden is associated with decreased well-being, especially for those reporting no neighborhood cohesion. Future research should examine neighborhood-level protective factors promoting cohesion for older adults to support well-being.

An Exploratory Study of Environmental Stress in Four High Violent Crime Cities: What Sets Them Apart?

Understanding the social contexts of violent crime remains controversial in the literature. In the current study, we examine common social contexts in four cities (Houston, TX, Baltimore, MD, Jackson, MS, Wilmington, DE). Data were examined in two studies. In the first, each city was compared to national county-level data on health outcomes. In the second, communities within the four cities were examined for correlates of crime. Results suggest that some common social contexts emerge: high STD rates, air pollution, single-parent homes, insufficient food resources and sleep, residential segregation, housing cost burdens, comparatively few older adults and comparatively more females, were common among the four high-violence cities. By contrast, all four cities unexpectedly had uncommonly low suicide rates compared to the national average. At the community level, unemployment, community stress, median household income, and population density all correlated with criminal outcomes. High-violence cities tended to have higher proportions of Black residents, however community level evaluations suggested that class-related issues, not race per se, was correlated with violent crime.

A Perfect Storm? Disasters and Evictions

ABSTRACT Stable housing is a fundamental platform for individual and collective well-being, and research indicates that a significant disruptive effect of severe environmental disasters is residential displacement. Despite extensive research on the intersection of disasters and housing, the effect of major disasters on evictions remains understudied. How do landlords and renters respond to the economic dislocation that accompanies disasters and to what extent do major disasters lead to evictions? To answer these questions, we adopt a mixed methods approach. Analyzing county-level data on evictions and disasters between 2000 and 2016, we find that disasters are associated with significant increases in evictions in the year of a disaster and the two years following a disaster and that increases in the housing cost burden are associated with higher eviction rates. We complement these quantitative findings with qualitative interviews and archival analysis from Panama City, Florida in the year after Hurricane Michael. The qualitative findings suggest that eviction dynamics may differ by landlord size and identify challenges for small landlords accessing federal assistance, particularly because of clouded titles from unrecorded property transfers. Together, the findings indicate that disasters increase evictions and lead to significant disruption for many low-income tenants for years after the disaster.

Housing Cost Burden and Health Decline Among Low- and Moderate-Income Older Renters.

To examine the association between housing cost burden (HCB) and health decline among low- and moderate-income older renters in the United States. Baseline data include low- and moderate-income community-dwelling older renters (N = 1,064) from the nationally representative 2015 National Health and Aging Trends Study. HCB was defined as the percentage of monthly income spent on rent, categorized as "no HCB" (<30%), "moderate HCB" (30%-49%), and "severe HCB" (≥50%). We used weighted logistic regression models to estimate whether HCB status in 2015 and change in HCB between 2015 and 2017 were associated with self-rated health decline and developing a new limitation related to activities of daily living (ADL) or instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) between 2015 and 2017. Older renters with severe HCB in 2015 were the most likely to develop a new ADL/IADL limitation (63.4%) over time (p < .05). The association between HCB status in 2015 and self-rated health decline was not statistically significant, but older renters with persistent HCB had 1.64 times greater odds of self-rated health decline (p < .05) and 2.01 times greater odds of developing a new ADL/IADL limitation (p < .01), compared to older renters with no HCB at baseline and follow-up. Even in the short term, HCB contributes to health decline in later life. Efforts to promote equity and healthy aging in the community must consider how to best address housing affordability among the growing population of older renters.

Housing Cost Burdens and Parental Support for Young Renters in South Korea

In Korea, the housing issues faced by young renters negatively impact both their parents and themselves. This study aimed at exploring young renters’ situations whereby they receive financial support from their parents in order to pay current housing expenses, and their perception of housing cost burdens. Additionally, this study examined the influences on the reception of parental support and their perceived housing cost burdens. In February and March of 2021, an online questionnaire survey was conducted amongst young renters living independently from their parents and 385 responses from Jeonse renters and monthly renters with deposits in private rental housing units were analyzed. The major findings are as follows: (1) among the subjects, 43.4% had experienced receiving parental support in order to pay for housing expenses since their first instance of independent living, and 35.6% were still receiving parental support. (2) A discriminant model with a linear combination of the variables of age, income, residential location and rental deposit was found effective in predicting the receipt of parental support with 66.5% accuracy. (3) A linear combination of the variables of gender, rental deposit and monthly cash housing expenses was found to explain 5.8% of the total variance of perceived housing cost burdens. The results imply the necessity to expand the provision of public housing and housing subsidies to alleviate the financial burdens of young renters and their parents.

Machine learning takes a village: Assessing neighbourhood-level vulnerability for an overdose and infectious disease outbreak.

Multiple areas in the United States of America (USA) are experiencing high rates of overdose and outbreaks of bloodborne infections, including HIV and hepatitis C virus (HCV), due to non-sterile injection drug use. We aimed to identify neighbourhoods at increased vulnerability for overdose and infectious disease outbreaks in Rhode Island, USA. The primary aim was to pilot machine learning methods to identify which neighbourhood-level factors were important for creating "vulnerability assessment scores" across the state. The secondary aim was to engage stakeholders to pilot an interactive mapping tool and visualize the results. From September 2018 to November 2019, we conducted a neighbourhood-level vulnerability assessment and stakeholder engagement process named The VILLAGE Project (Vulnerability Investigation of underlying Local risk And Geographic Events). We developed a predictive analytics model using machine learning methods (LASSO, Elastic Net, and RIDGE) to identify areas with increased vulnerability to an outbreak of overdose, HIV and HCV, using census tract-level counts of overdose deaths as a proxy for injection drug use patterns and related health outcomes. Stakeholders reviewed mapping tools for face validity and community distribution. Machine learning prediction models were suitable for estimating relative neighbourhood-level vulnerability to an outbreak. Variables of importance in the model included housing cost burden, prior overdose deaths, housing density, and education level. Eighty-nine census tracts (37%) with no prior overdose fatalities were identified as being vulnerable to such an outbreak, and nine of those were identified as having a vulnerability assessment score in the top 25%. Results were disseminated as a vulnerability stratification map and an online interactive mapping tool. Machine learning methods are well suited to predict neighborhoods at higher vulnerability to an outbreak. These methods show promise as a tool to assess structural vulnerabilities and work to prevent outbreaks at the local level.

Rent Burden and Depression Among Mothers: an Analysis of Primary Caregiver Outcomes

Using national longitudinal survey data from the Fragile Families & Child Wellbeing Study (FFCWS), this study builds on existing knowledge about housing insecurity, female caregivers, and well-being. The study analyzed the relationship between housing cost burdens (HCB) and depression among a sample (N = 399) of predominantly (67.6%) Black non-Hispanic mothers and other female primary caregivers. A generalized estimating equation (GEE) model yielded results that indicate housing cost burden among mothers and other female primary caregivers has a statistically significant association with meeting symptoms of depression and liberal criteria for depression as measured by the CIDI-SF survey instrument. This study contributes to the knowledge base of health outcomes related to housing cost burden by providing a unique analysis of the association of depression and housing cost burden at an unprecedented scale by using data from several consecutive waves of survey responses of a large, multi-city, longitudinal study. The findings hold implications that may inform future policy and research concerning the affordable housing crisis, which disproportionately affects mothers and other female heads of household. Considering the prevalence of housing cost burden in the USA and the disproportionate indications of depression found among housing burdened mothers/female caregivers, the findings of this study may hold implications for housing and health policies that address U.S. communities as diverse as the wide range of communities from which the FFCWS respondents were drawn.

A Study on the Effect of Housing Support Program on Housing Cost Burden －Focused on Low-Income Young and Elderly Household Tenants－

A Study on the Effect of Housing Support Program on Housing Cost Burden －Focused on Low-Income Young and Elderly Household Tenants－

Race, ethnicity, poverty and the social determinants of the coronavirus divide: U.S. county-level disparities and risk factors

BackgroundCommunities with more Black or Hispanic residents have higher coronavirus rates than communities with more White residents, but relevant community characteristics are underexplored. The purpose of this study was to investigate poverty-, race- and ethnic-based disparities and associated economic, housing, transit, population health and health care characteristics.MethodsSix-month cumulative coronavirus incidence and mortality were examined using adjusted negative binomial models among all U.S. counties (n = 3142). County-level independent variables included percentages in poverty and within racial/ethnic groups (Black, Hispanic, Native American, Asian), and rates of unemployment, lacking a high school diploma, housing cost burden, single parent households, limited English proficiency, diabetes, obesity, smoking, uninsured, preventable hospitalizations, primary care physicians, hospitals, ICU beds and households that were crowded, in multi-unit buildings or without a vehicle.ResultsCounties with higher percentages of Black (IRR = 1.03, 95% CI: 1.02–1.03) or Hispanic (IRR = 1.02, 95% CI: 1.01–1.03) residents had more coronavirus cases. Counties with higher percentages of Black (IRR = 1.02, 95% CI: 1.02–1.03) or Native American (IRR = 1.02, 95% CI: 1.01–1.04) residents had more deaths. Higher rates of lacking a high school diploma was associated with higher counts of cases (IRR = 1.03, 95% CI: 1.01–1.05) and deaths (IRR = 1.04, 95% CI: 1.01–1.07). Higher percentages of multi-unit households were associated with higher (IRR = 1.02, 95% CI: 1.01–1.04) and unemployment with lower (IRR = 0.96, 95% CI: 0.94–0.98) incidence. Higher percentages of individuals with limited English proficiency (IRR = 1.09, 95% CI: 1.04–1.14) and households without a vehicle (IRR = 1.04, 95% CI: 1.01–1.07) were associated with more deaths.ConclusionsThese results document differential pandemic impact in counties with more residents who are Black, Hispanic or Native American, highlighting the roles of residential racial segregation and other forms of discrimination. Factors including economic opportunities, occupational risk, public transit and housing conditions should be addressed in pandemic-related public health strategies to mitigate disparities across counties for the current pandemic and future population health events.

Inflection points in community-level homeless rates

Statistical models of community-level homeless rates typically assume a linear relationship to covariates. This linear model assumption precludes the possibility of inflection points in homeless rates—thresholds in quantifiable metrics of a community that, once breached, are associated with large increases in homelessness. In this paper we identify points of structural change in the relationship between homeless rates and community-level measures of housing affordability and extreme poverty. We utilize the Ewens–Pitman attraction (EPA) distribution to develop a Bayesian nonparametric regression model in which clusters of communities with similar covariates share common patterns of variation in homeless rates. A main finding of the study is that the expected homeless rate in a community begins to quickly increase once median rental costs exceed 30% of median income, providing a statistical link between homelessness and the U.S. government’s definition of a housing cost burden. Our analysis also identifies clusters of communities that exhibit distinct geographic patterns and yields insight into the homelessness and housing affordability crisis unfolding on both coasts of the United States.