Lead paint, mold and poor air quality are probably among the first things that come to mind when thinking about health-related housing problems. Consider adding rent and mortgage payments to this list. A study published last week in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine found that people who cannot afford their housing are more likely to suffer from poor health. The study, which uses telephone survey data from10,004 residents of Philadelphia, found that those living in unaffordable housing had an increased likelihood of poor self-ratings of health, hypertension, arthritis and cost-related healthcare and prescription non-adherence.
Renters were more likely to provide poor self-ratings of their health than homeowners; a finding that is likely driven by differences in household income. “People are dealing with a lot of competing costs in life and often have limited financial means in order to cover those costs,”said Craig Pollack, M.D., lead study author and an assistant professor at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Nearly half of those surveyed reported difficulty paying housing costs.
The study's authors suggest that programs that target housing affordability for both renters and homeowners may be an important means for improving health.
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