Housing Hardship and Youth Problem Behaviors: Evidence From Longitudinal Data

Sarah Gold , Princeton University

Housing-related hardships – being unable to pay full housing or utility costs, doubling up for financial reasons, having utilities shut off, and being evicted – are common experiences for many households, both poor and non-poor, in the United States. This paper uses longitudinal data from all six waves of the Fragile Families and Child Well-being Study to explore the connection between these hardships experienced throughout childhood and delinquent, internalizing, and externalizing behaviors in adolescence. At any given wave of the study, between 33% and 42% of the sample experiences a housing hardship. Being unable to pay full rent or utility bills is particularly detrimental for adolescent behaviors. The impact of housing hardship appears to be cumulative: the more waves of housing hardship experienced, the larger and stronger the association with problematic behaviors. This research suggests that preventing common housing-related hardships can be impactful for youth behavioral outcomes.

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 Presented in Session 221. Housing, Homelessness, and Child/Youth Well-being