Housing is a matter of justice because it's connected to health and education

The Center for Housing Policy tells us that good housing is associated with good health and good education. Providing decent, affordable housing is therefore a matter of justice - a country is obligated to ensure decent, affordable housing for all its citizens and permanent residents. It is the same as being obligated to provide education, national defence, and universal affordable healthcare (btw, the US has failed on that last bit). For those who are only capable of looking at the issue in a self-interested manner, higher inequality is correlated with higher levels of crime. In addition to crime making people unsafe, crime also drives up national spending (police, courts, prisons). Ensuring the well-being of all pays dividends to everyone.


Children that live in…
…housing built before 1960 – approximately 14 million children under age 6 – are more likely to suffer from increased lead exposure and lead poisoning since older rental housing contains the highest levels of lead-based paint hazards.
…good housing conditions – in particular, housing free from pesticides, mold and cockroach infestation – are less likely to develop asthma and, as a result, to miss school.
…stable housing where they move less frequently are more likely to do better on reading and math tests and less likely to drop out of school than children who move regularly.

Children in families that receive housing assistance…
…are approximately 50 percent less likely to suffer from iron deficiencies than children in low-income families that do not receive housing aid.
…in the form of housing vouchers live in better neighborhoods and are less likely to move frequently, experience crowding and to miss school compared to children in families that do not receive vouchers.

Children of homeowners…
…scored up to 9 percent higher on math and up to 7 percent higher on reading tests than their peers in families that rented their homes.
…and their families achieve better physical and mental health outcomes compared to renters, including fewer long-term illnesses, as well as lower blood pressure and depression levels.

The CHP has a number of hypotheses on how housing affects health and education. You can read the document at this link, but here are some selected hypotheses.

-Affordable housing may improve health outcomes by freeing up family resources for nutritious food and health care expenditures.

-By providing families with greater residential stability, affordable housing can reduce stress and related adverse health outcomes.

-Well-constructed and managed affordable housing developments can reduce health problems associated with poor quality housing by limiting exposure to allergens, neurotoxins, and other dangers.

-Stable, affordable housing may improve health outcomes for individuals with chronic illnesses and disabilities, and the elderly, by providing a stable and efficient platform for the ongoing delivery of health care and other necessary services.

-Use of “green building” and “transit-oriented development” strategies can lower exposure to pollutants by improving the energy efficiency of homes and reducing reliance on personal vehicles.

-By enabling families to afford decent-quality homes of their own, affordable housing can reduce overcrowding (and other sources of housing-related stress) that lead to negative developmental and educational outcomes for children.

-Stable, affordable housing may improve health outcomes for individuals with chronic illnesses and disabilities, and the elderly, by providing a stable and efficient platform for the ongoing delivery of health care and other necessary services.

-By allowing victims of domestic violence to escape abusive homes, affordable housing can lead to improvements in mental health and physical safety.