A research brief released last week by the Center for Housing Policy – the research division of the National Housing Conference – asserts that reductions in homelessness could have positive impacts on the long-term health on affected children.
The idea is based on research by Children’s Health Watch, which notes that the younger children are when exposed to homelessness, and the longer the situations go on, the greater the negative effects on the children, their families and their communities. Get the details.
So, if housing can be made more affordable for low-income families and actions are taken to find homes for the homeless, the changes could reduce the stresses that cause or aggravate medical conditions.
“Compounding Stress: The Timing and Duration Effects of Homelessness on Children’s Health,” is the title of the research brief by the Center for Housing Policy. Researchers collected data from more than 20,000 caregivers of low-income children in five cities from 2009 to 2014. The researchers also recommended quick intervention to help the homeless children.
Learn more about Children’s HealthWatch, the National Housing Conference and the Center for Housing Policy.