Housing Distress Increases the Risk of Poor Health and Well-Being for Aging Adults

By Mackenzie Pish, NLIHC Research Analyst 

Research published in Social Science and Medicine (SSM) Population Health, “Housing distress and subsequent health and well-being among older adults: An outcome-wide longitudinal approach,” found that housing distress increased the risk of several physical and psychological health problems. The authors defined “housing distress” as housing problems that lasted one year or longer that were either somewhat or very upsetting. They found that housing distress was significantly associated with negative outcomes for 11 of 35 health indicators examined in the study.  

The authors relied on data from the University of Michigan's Health and Retirement Study (HRS)—a nationally representative panel of U.S. adults age 51 and older. The authors' findings are based on three waves of HRS data collected between 2006 and 2016 for 12,988 adults. Demographic data was collected in Wave 1, housing distress was measured in Wave 2, and health outcomes were measured in Wave 3. Health outcomes were based on 35 indicators of physical health (14 indictors), health behavior (4), psychological well-being (7), psychological distress (5), and social factors (5).  

People of color and women accounted for higher shares of those who experienced housing distress. Black and Hispanic adults accounted for 28% and 15% of those who experienced housing distress, but only 11.7% and 8.8% of those who did not experience ongoing housing problems. Their white counterparts, in comparison, accounted for 53% of those who experienced housing distress, and 77.3% of those without ongoing housing problems. Similarly, women accounted for 65% of those who experienced housing distress and only 58% of those without ongoing housing problems. Adults with lower incomes, education attainment, and wealth were also disproportionately represented amongst those who experienced housing distress. Seventy percent of participants with housing distress had incomes below $50,000, compared to 65% of those with ongoing but not upsetting housing problems, and 53% of those without ongoing housing problems.  

The authors also found that housing distress significantly increased the risk or likelihood of 11 of the 35 health indicators. For physical health, housing distress was associated with an increased risk of physical functioning limitations, lower self-rated health, and a higher number of physical health conditions. Housing distress increased the risk of an older adult experiencing seven psychological health and distress indicators, including reporting lower life satisfaction, mastery, health mastery, and purpose in life, as well as higher negative affect, depressive symptoms, and hopelessness. Of the social indicators, housing distress was significantly associated with increased risk of loneliness.  

The authors conclude by highlighting the toll that housing instability can take on the health and well-being of older adults. They suggest the need for stronger housing policies targeted at reducing health disparities and enabling healthy aging in place. They explain the importance of conducting research with more recent data, especially given the growing population of older adults and the fact that health and housing circumstances may be notably different in a post-pandemic era. They recommend research that follows participants for longer periods of time and examines how housing distress and related health outcomes vary based on more granular demographic characteristics. 

Read the report here.