The Looming COVID-19 Housing and Health Crisis in the US: Results from a National and Four-City Survey

Mary Findling; Robert Blendon; John Benson; Carolyn Miller

doi:doi:10.11648/j.sjph.20210902.14

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The Looming COVID-19 Housing and Health Crisis in the US: Results from a National and Four-City Survey

Mary Findling, Robert Blendon, John Benson, Carolyn Miller

Published in Science Journal of Public Health (Volume 9, Issue 2)

Received: 3 March 2021 Accepted: 13 March 2021 Published: 26 March 2021

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Abstract

Affordable housing is a key determinant of health, and it has become a major issue for millions of vulnerable households during the COVID-19 pandemic. Little is known about Americans’ financial burdens in paying for housing costs during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly after federal aid was initially distributed. In a randomized, representative survey of households nationally and in the four largest U.S. cities during the COVID-19 pandemic (n=3,454), we found widespread, serious burdens reported with paying for housing costs (including rent, mortgage, and utilities). Nationally, forty percent of households with employment disruptions (40%) reported serious financial problems paying their housing costs, including half or more in New York (50%), Los Angeles (50%), and Houston (60%). More than one-third of renters nationally (38%) and in the four largest U.S. cities (Houston – 59%, Los Angeles – 50%, New York City – 38%, Chicago – 37%) reported serious problems paying housing costs during this time. Serious cost burdens were concentrated among renters, Black and Hispanic households, and households with recent job or wage losses. The federal government earmarked limited funding specifically toward improving housing stability in December 2020, but it was a fraction of what is believed necessary to provide stability to the housing market for vulnerable groups. A patchwork of housing and financial protection programs are set to expire in 2021 with limited ongoing mechanisms to cover back rent or utility payments, widely placing vulnerable households at risk for health and economic problems unless further policy action is taken.

Published in	Science Journal of Public Health (Volume 9, Issue 2)
DOI	10.11648/j.sjph.20210902.14
Page(s)	57-63
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

COVID-19, Housing and Health, Housing Insecurity, Eviction, Racial Disparities

References

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[2]	Diez Roux, A. (2020). Population health in the time of COVID-19: confirmations and revelations. Milbank Quarterly, 98 (3), 629-640.
[3]	Vasquez-Vera, H., Palencia, L., Magna, I., et al. (2017). The threat of home eviction and its effects on health through the equity lens: a systematic review. Social Science & Medicine, 175, 199-208.
[4]	Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University. (2020, December 7). The state of the nation’s housing – 2020. Harvard Graduate School of Design and Harvard Kennedy School. Retrieved from: https://www.jchs.harvard.edu/sites/default/files/reports/files/Harvard_JCHS_The_State_of_the_Nations_Housing_2020_Report_Revised_120720.pdf.
[5]	Han, J., Meyer, B. D., Sullivan, J. X. (2020, December 15). Real-time poverty estimates during the COVID-19 pandemic through November 2020. University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy. Retrieved from: https://harris.uchicago.edu/files/monthly_poverty_rates_updated_thru_november_2020_final.pdf.
[6]	Associated Press. (2020, December 28). Highlights of COVID-19, government funding law taking effect. Retrieved from: https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-health-care-reform-legislation-immigration-coronavirus-pandemic-3ba55f6ae819ad2be2319dfa218012b8.
[7]	Leifheit, K. M., Linton, S. L., Raifman, J., et al. (2020). Expiring eviction moratoriums and COVID-19 incidence and mortality. SSRN. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3739576.
[8]	U.S. Census Bureau. (2021). Week 22 Household Pulse Survey: January 6 – January 18. Retrieved from: https://www.census.gov/data/tables/2021/demo/hhp/hhp22.html.
[9]	Acs, G., Karpman, M. (2020, June 30). Employment, income, and unemployment insurance during the COVID-19 pandemic. Urban Institute. Retrieved from: https://www.urban.org/research/publication/employment-income-and-unemployment-insurance-during-covid-19-pandemic.
[10]	Schneider, D., Harknett, K. (2020). Unemployed without a net. SHIFT, Harvard Kennedy School. Retrieved from: https://shift.hks.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/UI_Brief_BM.pdf.
[11]	Desmond, M., Gershenson, C. (2017). Who gets evicted? Assessing individual, neighborhood, and network factors. Social Science Research, 62, 362-377.
[12]	Pager, D. & Shepherd, H. (2008) The sociology of discrimination: racial discrimination in employment, housing, credit, and consumer markets. Annual Reviews in Sociology, 34, 181-209.
[13]	Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020, November 30). COVID-19 hospitalization and death by race/ethnicity. Retrieved from: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/covid-data/investigations-discovery/hospitalization-death-by-race-ethnicity.html.
[14]	Greenberg, D., Gershenon, C., & Desmond, M. (2016). Discrimination in evictions: empirical evidence and legal challenges. Harvard Civil Rights-Civil Liberties Law Review, 51 Harv. C. R.-C. L. L. Rev. 115.
[15]	Pew Charitable Trusts. (2019). ‘A Pileup of Inequities’: Why People of Color are Hit Hardest by Homelessness. Retrieved from: https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/blogs/stateline/2019/03/29/a-pileup-of-inequities-why-people-of-color-are-hit-hardest-by-homelessness.

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APA Style

Mary Findling, Robert Blendon, John Benson, Carolyn Miller. (2021). The Looming COVID-19 Housing and Health Crisis in the US: Results from a National and Four-City Survey. Science Journal of Public Health, 9(2), 57-63. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjph.20210902.14

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ACS Style

Mary Findling; Robert Blendon; John Benson; Carolyn Miller. The Looming COVID-19 Housing and Health Crisis in the US: Results from a National and Four-City Survey. Sci. J. Public Health 2021, 9(2), 57-63. doi: 10.11648/j.sjph.20210902.14

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AMA Style

Mary Findling, Robert Blendon, John Benson, Carolyn Miller. The Looming COVID-19 Housing and Health Crisis in the US: Results from a National and Four-City Survey. Sci J Public Health. 2021;9(2):57-63. doi: 10.11648/j.sjph.20210902.14

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@article{10.11648/j.sjph.20210902.14,
  author = {Mary Findling and Robert Blendon and John Benson and Carolyn Miller},
  title = {The Looming COVID-19 Housing and Health Crisis in the US: Results from a National and Four-City Survey},
  journal = {Science Journal of Public Health},
  volume = {9},
  number = {2},
  pages = {57-63},
  doi = {10.11648/j.sjph.20210902.14},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjph.20210902.14},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.sjph.20210902.14},
  abstract = {Affordable housing is a key determinant of health, and it has become a major issue for millions of vulnerable households during the COVID-19 pandemic. Little is known about Americans’ financial burdens in paying for housing costs during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly after federal aid was initially distributed. In a randomized, representative survey of households nationally and in the four largest U.S. cities during the COVID-19 pandemic (n=3,454), we found widespread, serious burdens reported with paying for housing costs (including rent, mortgage, and utilities). Nationally, forty percent of households with employment disruptions (40%) reported serious financial problems paying their housing costs, including half or more in New York (50%), Los Angeles (50%), and Houston (60%). More than one-third of renters nationally (38%) and in the four largest U.S. cities (Houston – 59%, Los Angeles – 50%, New York City – 38%, Chicago – 37%) reported serious problems paying housing costs during this time. Serious cost burdens were concentrated among renters, Black and Hispanic households, and households with recent job or wage losses. The federal government earmarked limited funding specifically toward improving housing stability in December 2020, but it was a fraction of what is believed necessary to provide stability to the housing market for vulnerable groups. A patchwork of housing and financial protection programs are set to expire in 2021 with limited ongoing mechanisms to cover back rent or utility payments, widely placing vulnerable households at risk for health and economic problems unless further policy action is taken.},
 year = {2021}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - The Looming COVID-19 Housing and Health Crisis in the US: Results from a National and Four-City Survey
AU  - Mary Findling
AU  - Robert Blendon
AU  - John Benson
AU  - Carolyn Miller
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DO  - 10.11648/j.sjph.20210902.14
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JF  - Science Journal of Public Health
JO  - Science Journal of Public Health
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AB  - Affordable housing is a key determinant of health, and it has become a major issue for millions of vulnerable households during the COVID-19 pandemic. Little is known about Americans’ financial burdens in paying for housing costs during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly after federal aid was initially distributed. In a randomized, representative survey of households nationally and in the four largest U.S. cities during the COVID-19 pandemic (n=3,454), we found widespread, serious burdens reported with paying for housing costs (including rent, mortgage, and utilities). Nationally, forty percent of households with employment disruptions (40%) reported serious financial problems paying their housing costs, including half or more in New York (50%), Los Angeles (50%), and Houston (60%). More than one-third of renters nationally (38%) and in the four largest U.S. cities (Houston – 59%, Los Angeles – 50%, New York City – 38%, Chicago – 37%) reported serious problems paying housing costs during this time. Serious cost burdens were concentrated among renters, Black and Hispanic households, and households with recent job or wage losses. The federal government earmarked limited funding specifically toward improving housing stability in December 2020, but it was a fraction of what is believed necessary to provide stability to the housing market for vulnerable groups. A patchwork of housing and financial protection programs are set to expire in 2021 with limited ongoing mechanisms to cover back rent or utility payments, widely placing vulnerable households at risk for health and economic problems unless further policy action is taken.
VL  - 9
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Author Information

Mary Findling

Department of Health Policy and Management, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Robert Blendon

Department of Health Policy and Management, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
John Benson

Department of Health Policy and Management, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Carolyn Miller

Research, Evaluation, and Learning Unit, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Princeton, New Jersey, United States

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APA Style

Mary Findling, Robert Blendon, John Benson, Carolyn Miller. (2021). The Looming COVID-19 Housing and Health Crisis in the US: Results from a National and Four-City Survey. Science Journal of Public Health, 9(2), 57-63. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjph.20210902.14

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ACS Style

Mary Findling; Robert Blendon; John Benson; Carolyn Miller. The Looming COVID-19 Housing and Health Crisis in the US: Results from a National and Four-City Survey. Sci. J. Public Health 2021, 9(2), 57-63. doi: 10.11648/j.sjph.20210902.14

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AMA Style

Mary Findling, Robert Blendon, John Benson, Carolyn Miller. The Looming COVID-19 Housing and Health Crisis in the US: Results from a National and Four-City Survey. Sci J Public Health. 2021;9(2):57-63. doi: 10.11648/j.sjph.20210902.14

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@article{10.11648/j.sjph.20210902.14,
  author = {Mary Findling and Robert Blendon and John Benson and Carolyn Miller},
  title = {The Looming COVID-19 Housing and Health Crisis in the US: Results from a National and Four-City Survey},
  journal = {Science Journal of Public Health},
  volume = {9},
  number = {2},
  pages = {57-63},
  doi = {10.11648/j.sjph.20210902.14},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjph.20210902.14},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.sjph.20210902.14},
  abstract = {Affordable housing is a key determinant of health, and it has become a major issue for millions of vulnerable households during the COVID-19 pandemic. Little is known about Americans’ financial burdens in paying for housing costs during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly after federal aid was initially distributed. In a randomized, representative survey of households nationally and in the four largest U.S. cities during the COVID-19 pandemic (n=3,454), we found widespread, serious burdens reported with paying for housing costs (including rent, mortgage, and utilities). Nationally, forty percent of households with employment disruptions (40%) reported serious financial problems paying their housing costs, including half or more in New York (50%), Los Angeles (50%), and Houston (60%). More than one-third of renters nationally (38%) and in the four largest U.S. cities (Houston – 59%, Los Angeles – 50%, New York City – 38%, Chicago – 37%) reported serious problems paying housing costs during this time. Serious cost burdens were concentrated among renters, Black and Hispanic households, and households with recent job or wage losses. The federal government earmarked limited funding specifically toward improving housing stability in December 2020, but it was a fraction of what is believed necessary to provide stability to the housing market for vulnerable groups. A patchwork of housing and financial protection programs are set to expire in 2021 with limited ongoing mechanisms to cover back rent or utility payments, widely placing vulnerable households at risk for health and economic problems unless further policy action is taken.},
 year = {2021}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - The Looming COVID-19 Housing and Health Crisis in the US: Results from a National and Four-City Survey
AU  - Mary Findling
AU  - Robert Blendon
AU  - John Benson
AU  - Carolyn Miller
Y1  - 2021/03/26
PY  - 2021
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjph.20210902.14
DO  - 10.11648/j.sjph.20210902.14
T2  - Science Journal of Public Health
JF  - Science Journal of Public Health
JO  - Science Journal of Public Health
SP  - 57
EP  - 63
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2328-7950
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjph.20210902.14
AB  - Affordable housing is a key determinant of health, and it has become a major issue for millions of vulnerable households during the COVID-19 pandemic. Little is known about Americans’ financial burdens in paying for housing costs during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly after federal aid was initially distributed. In a randomized, representative survey of households nationally and in the four largest U.S. cities during the COVID-19 pandemic (n=3,454), we found widespread, serious burdens reported with paying for housing costs (including rent, mortgage, and utilities). Nationally, forty percent of households with employment disruptions (40%) reported serious financial problems paying their housing costs, including half or more in New York (50%), Los Angeles (50%), and Houston (60%). More than one-third of renters nationally (38%) and in the four largest U.S. cities (Houston – 59%, Los Angeles – 50%, New York City – 38%, Chicago – 37%) reported serious problems paying housing costs during this time. Serious cost burdens were concentrated among renters, Black and Hispanic households, and households with recent job or wage losses. The federal government earmarked limited funding specifically toward improving housing stability in December 2020, but it was a fraction of what is believed necessary to provide stability to the housing market for vulnerable groups. A patchwork of housing and financial protection programs are set to expire in 2021 with limited ongoing mechanisms to cover back rent or utility payments, widely placing vulnerable households at risk for health and economic problems unless further policy action is taken.
VL  - 9
IS  - 2
ER  -

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