Housing quality and housing stability matter to children’s well-being, according to MacArthur-supported research by Boston College detailed in a How Housing Matters Policy Brief. Living in unsafe or unsanitary homes is related to greater emotional and behavioral problems among children and adolescents, and poor housing quality is also related to poorer school performance for older children. Moving frequently is also detrimental to children’s well-being. In contrast, unaffordability had little discernible link to children’s well-being. Much of the effect of poor quality and unstable housing on children was a function of parenting. The strain of living in poor-quality homes or of having to move frequently took its toll on parents, leading to symptoms of depression and anxiety.
