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Housing insecurity, financial hardship and mental health

Author

Listed:
  • Ludlow, Timothy
  • Fooken, Jonas
  • Rose, Christiern
  • Tang, Kam Ki

Abstract

We examine the impact of housing insecurity on mental health. We use missed rental payments due to a shortage of money as a direct measure of housing insecurity and a difference-in-differences framework that allows us to differentiate the effect of housing insecurity from the effect of experiencing financial hardship more generally. We find that housing insecurity causes a decline in mental health. Further analysis reveals two important dimensions of heterogeneity: the duration of prior financial hardship and the intensity of housing insecurity. Renters in prolonged financial hardship and those who experience high levels of housing insecurity (defined as missing a rental payment and having a high rent to income ratio), experience the largest negative impacts on their mental health.

Suggested Citation

  • Ludlow, Timothy & Fooken, Jonas & Rose, Christiern & Tang, Kam Ki, 2025. "Housing insecurity, financial hardship and mental health," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 57(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ehbiol:v:57:y:2025:i:c:s1570677x25000085
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ehb.2025.101475
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • I14 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health and Inequality
    • I32 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - Measurement and Analysis of Poverty

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