Housing assistance and non-shelter outcomes

Summary

The reduced housing costs, increased residential stability, reduced crowding and more socially diverse neighbourhoods provided to new public tenants benefit educational outcomes for children, the health and well being of tenants, and reduce health costs for government. As for employment, the findings were mixed: some new public tenants worked more, others worked less.


Project Number: 60008
Research Theme: Social_Wellbeing
Project Leader: Phibbs, Peter
Funding Year: 2000
Research Centre: Sydney

Research and Policy Bulletin

Research & Policy Bulletin

Issue 054: The health, employment and education benefits of public housing

The reduced housing costs, increased residential stability, reduced crowding and more socially diverse neighbourhoods provided to new public tenants benefit educational outcomes for children, the health and well being of tenants, and reduce health costs for government. As for employment, the findings were mixed: some new public tenants worked more, others worked less.

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Description

This research interviewed 178 tenants just after they moved into public housing and 151 of them about 6 months later. The survey focused on how the different aspects of assistance provided through public housing changed the lives of new tenants, particularly with regard to their health, employment and education of their children. As well as participating in interviews and completing a health and well-being survey, 80% of respondents allowed access to their Medicare records a year before and a year after they moved into public housing.

The key findings of the research are:

  • Different aspects of the assistance provided by public housing can be effective in benefiting various non-shelter outcomes. In this study the reduced housing costs, increased residential stability, reduced crowding and more socially diverse neighbourhoods were each found to be important.
  • More than half of the 60 parents in this study felt that their children were performing better at school after moving into public housing, compared to only 7% reporting that they were performing worse. Similarly 45% felt that their children were more motivated, compared to 10% who felt that their motivation had declined.
  • Participants attributed health improvements to reduced stress, more money to buy better food, less dust and hazards around the home, and improved self-esteem.
  • There was an overall small decline in the number and cost of visits to doctors after moving into public housing. Heavy users, however, showed a much greater reduction in their use of health services, while light users showed a significant increase.
  • Moving into public housing had a mixed impact on employment outcomes for participants. Some households reported less need to work due to reduced housing costs, and some used this opportunity to spend time training, caring for children, or undertaking voluntary work. Others felt more able to look for work now that the housing crisis had been resolved.

 

More Information

Download now Research and Policy Bulletin: Issue 054: The health, employment and education benefits of public housing
144 KB PDF Document

Download now Positioning Paper: No. 037: Housing assistance and non-shelter outcomes
822 KB PDF Document

Download now Final Report: No. 074: Housing assistance and non-shelter outcomes
2.76 MB PDF Document

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