Housing Instability and Health in the Great Recession

Sarah A. Burgard, University of Michigan
Kristin Seefeldt, University of Michigan
Sarah Johnson, University of Michigan

The “Great Recession” that began in 2007 has been characterized not only by high levels of unemployment but also by losses in housing stability for many Americans. Despite the increased incidence of housing instability, there is limited research about the scope of the problem during this recession or its effects on the health of those experiencing foreclosure, eviction, payment delinquency, or other housing problems. In this paper we will use data from the new Michigan Recession and Recovery Study (MRRS) to examine associations between various forms of housing instability and a range of health indicators and health behaviors. Initial results show that disadvantaged groups, including less educated individuals and African Americans, are at greater risk of many forms of housing instability. Even net of sociodemographic characteristics, initial multivariate analyses reveal that various measures of housing instability are associated with greater likelihood of poor health outcomes, especially depression.