Journal of Housing Economics Publishes Article on Assisted Housing and Child Development

By Ella Izenour, NLIHC Opportunity Starts at Home Intern   

The Journal of Housing Economics recently published an article, “Assisted housing and healthy child development,” examining how assisted housing influences children’s developmental outcomes. Focusing on children ages 0–17, the study links measures of children’s cognitive achievement with HUD administrative data to assess the role of assisted housing in child development. The authors identify and evaluate the impacts of three core aspects of assisted housing: affordability, housing quality, and neighborhood conditions.  

The study drew data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics-Assisted Housing Database (PSID-AHD) and PSID’s Child Development supplement. The study included 1,440 children who either lived in assisted housing or had never lived in assisted housing, but whose families were income-eligible for at least half of the childhood years observed during the analysis from 1985-2007.  

Among these core qualities, affordability was found to have the largest impact on children’s healthy development. Housing quality and neighborhood conditions were not significantly affected by assisted housing, though both remain important contributors to child development. The study finds that children who spend at least part of their childhood in assisted housing demonstrate higher cognitive achievement and better overall health compared to children living in unassisted housing. These results are consistent across major assisted housing programs—including public housing, multifamily housing, and housing vouchers—highlighting the central role of affordability in promoting positive child outcomes. Additionally, the authors suggest that improved affordability enhances parenting quality, which in turn directly benefits children’s well-being.  

The article concludes by emphasizing housing affordability as a key driver of positive child development outcomes. This finding reinforces policy arguments for strengthening assisted housing programs and ensuring that low-income families can access affordable housing that reduces cost burdens, thereby potentially enhancing children’s cognitive skills, overall health, and emotional well-being.  

Read the article here.   

To learn more about the intersection of housing and child well-being, read the OSAH fact sheet here.