“It was mentally draining, the worst feeling in the world”: Pandemic Eviction Risk & Wellbeing

• In Event: 30461 - Section on Children and Youth Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (60 minute): Table 3. Kids' Health and Wellbeing

Abstract

The ongoing affordable housing crisis in the United States has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, deepening instability for millions of Americans. By August 2020, approximately 2.4 million households expressed uncertainty about their ability to pay rent, a number that rose to 3.5 million for households with children (U.S. Census Bureau, 2020). Evictions contribute to increased hospital visits (Collinson et al., 2022) and poorer self-rated health (Hatch & Yun, 2020). Single mothers and their children are particularly vulnerable, facing heightened eviction rates, increased parental stress, and adverse health outcomes (Desmond & Kimbro, 2015; Leung et al., 2021). Despite mounting research on eviction-related health outcomes, few qualitative studies have explored individual-level health effects of eviction risk during the pandemic, and fewer examine mothers’ and caregivers’ perspectives on their children’s experiences. Given that over two million households and 2.9 million children face eviction annually (Graetz et al., 2023), understanding the direct health impacts of eviction risk on renters and their children is crucial. This study addresses this gap by analyzing 57 in-depth interviews with individuals over 18 experiencing eviction risk in Bridgeport, CT, and Columbus, OH.
Our analysis highlighted three primary themes that emerged from the data: stress-induced health conditions, worsening mental health, and the impact of eviction risk on children. The data revealed talks of depression, seizures, stress, suicidal ideation, hospitalization, and observed behavioral and emotional changes in the children impacted by housing instability. These findings illustrate the severe physiological toll of eviction risk and reveal that eviction risk not only affects parents but also significantly disrupts children’s emotional and developmental well-being. With millions of households facing eviction annually, understanding the broader health implications is imperative. This study demonstrates that eviction risk extends beyond housing insecurity, deeply impacting physical and mental health, exacerbating pre-existing conditions, and affecting children's emotional stability.

Authors

• Kyra R Rost, Ohio State University

• Danya Keene, Yale University

• Penelope Schlesinger, Yale University