Where we live plays a big role in our health. A safe and secure home, free from dangers, can help improve our well-being. On the other hand, living in unsafe or poor housing conditions can lead to health problems and widen health inequalities. Many chronic illnesses can be linked to bad housing.
Since people spend about 90% of their time indoors—mostly at home—it’s clear how much housing can influence health.
Research shows that social factors like housing have a strong impact on our overall health outcomes.
When homes are unsuitable, people may face many health risks. Poor housing can cause or worsen injuries and illnesses such as respiratory problems, nervous system disorders, heart diseases, and even cancer.
Why Does Housing Impact Health?
The quality of housing directly affects a person’s health. This includes not only the condition of the house itself but also the environment around it—both socially and physically.
Important factors that determine good housing quality include clean air, safety inside the home, enough space for each person, and the absence of harmful things like mold, asbestos, and lead.
Experts link poor housing quality to many negative health effects, including chronic diseases, injuries, and mental health issues.
For example, homes with faulty heating, plumbing, or air conditioning systems may expose residents to dangers like carbon monoxide, lead poisoning, or airborne infections.
People from low-income families are often more likely to live in such poor-quality housing, which can harm their health. Overcrowding, for example, raises the risk of mental health problems, food shortages, and infectious diseases.
Sometimes, people can’t afford to fix or improve their homes, which means they might not be able to heat their houses properly. This can lead to serious health issues, such as high blood pressure and heart attacks.
Additionally, damage in homes—like water leaks—can cause mold growth, which can harm breathing and lung health.
Recent research also shows a connection between poor housing conditions and a higher chance of serious COVID-19 complications.
Key Factors That Influence Housing and Health
Several important factors affect how housing impacts health:
Quality and Safety:
Poor quality and unsafe homes raise the risk of health problems. Health hazards at home generally fall into four categories:
- Biological: Allergens like mold, rodents, and dust mites can trigger allergies, asthma, and other breathing issues.
- Chemical: Substances like lead, asbestos, radon, and carbon monoxide exposure can cause neurological problems, developmental delays, cancer, asthma, and other illnesses.
- Physical: Problems like poor ventilation, extreme temperatures, and unsafe surroundings can lead to injuries and health issues related to heat or cold.
- Social: Overcrowding, poverty, and crime fears can increase the risk of infectious diseases and mental health challenges.
Affordability:
Access to safe, affordable, good-quality housing positively affects health and well-being. But when housing is too expensive, people often must sacrifice other essentials like healthy food, medical care, energy bills, or home repairs.
High housing costs are especially common in poorer areas, where racial disparities exist. Reports show that cost-burdened homes are more common among Black and Hispanic families.
Neighborhood:
Low-income neighborhoods usually lack good services. Residents may have limited access to transportation, jobs, and quality schools.
Such neighborhoods often expose people to environmental hazards, higher crime rates, and fewer chances for financial stability, all of which harm health.
For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, people in poorer areas faced more barriers to staying safe, resulting in higher rates of illness and complications.
Minority communities often live in these neighborhoods due to historical housing discrimination, which further worsens health inequalities.
Stability:
Quality, safety, affordability, and neighborhood conditions all affect housing stability. Without stable housing, people risk homelessness.
Most people experiencing homelessness are not chronically homeless; many come from households that were once stable but lost their housing.
Homelessness increases the risk of mental illness, infectious diseases, violence, and substance abuse.
In Summary
Housing plays a crucial role in both physical and mental health. Poor housing quality is linked to many health problems. Several factors influence whether housing supports good health, including how affordable, safe, stable, and well-located it is. Unfortunately, health disparities still exist, making it vital to work toward health equity. Improving housing quality and availability benefits everyone’s health.
