Inadequate housing: a health crisis for the children of the poor

Article Abstract:

The inadequacy of affordable housing presents a significant health risk to poor children. The 1993 American Housing Survey found that over 1.2 million households across the country lived in houses with moderate to severe physical damages, and that more than half a million renter families lived in overcrowded conditions. Children living in such housing conditions are more vulnerable to health problems and injuries. They are more likely to suffer asthma attacks due to exposure to such irritants as cockroaches, dust mites, molds and rats, to contract infections, and to suffer lead poisoning. They are also more likely to be trapped in dangerous neighborhoods or living arrangements and, consequently, be exposed to violence. Public housing professionals should therefore consider housing as a health issue and should be particularly concerned about the health of poor children.

Health aspects, Housing, Children, Child health, Poor children

---

The state of the nation's low-income housing

Article Abstract:

Low-income housing has not successfully addressed the needs of its target recipients. Those belonging to extremely and very low-income households are either spending more than half of their incomes on housing or staying in insufficient units. Most of these households are elderlies, single-parent families and minorities. Unfortunately, the prospect for meeting the demands of these people for low-income housing looks bleak. Recent welfare reforms threaten the public assistance programs that these groups receive. Moreover, policymakers are not willing to offer rental assistance to low-income people because doing so is a very expensive undertaking. The gap between the demand for and supply of housing that extremely low-income earners can afford is forecasted to widen further.

Reports, Housing policy

---

Similar abstracts:

• Abstracts: The state of low-income housing. Out of reach: the unaffordability of rental housing
• Abstracts: Nursing home reform: fait accompli or frontier? The impact of the social environment on nursing home residents
• Abstracts: What society? What sociology? The Chilean post-democratization debate
• Abstracts: Third birth intentions and uncertainty in Canada. The secondary sex ratio in Israel: 1980-1995
• Abstracts: An examination of the effects of residential and church integration on racial attitudes of whites. Classifying books and knowledge - in the stores and on the Web

This website is not affiliated with document authors or copyright owners. This page is provided for informational purposes only. Unintentional errors are possible.