Housing and Health: Experiences, Perceptions and Concerns about Housing as a Social Driver

The Root Cause Coalition conducted a public insights survey in February, 2024.  Results show concern over aspects of housing, particularly with lower income Americans.  Below are a few of the key findings from the report.  The full set of data and demographics are available here.

• More than one in 10 surveyed are unhappy with their living situation

  • Older adults and higher income earners are most likely to be very happy with their living situation

• Few Americans are dissatisfied with their housing but over one-third are only somewhat satisfied

  • Lower income Americans are the least satisfied with their housing

• More than half who are unsatisfied with their housing report that certain aspects of their home need repairs; over one-quarter report unwanted pests and living in an unsafe neighborhood

• Whites are significantly more likely to own their home compared to Hispanics and Black individuals; those less than 45 years of age, non-college educated and urban residents also less likely to own their own home

• Nearly half of those surveyed have been somewhat or very concerned about paying their rent/mortgage over the past six months

  • Compared to whites and Hispanics, Black individuals more likely to be concerned about paying their rent/mortgage

• Paying for utilities and buying healthy food are top concerns after being able to pay their rent/mortgage

• The cost of a down payment and weak credit are the top obstacles for renters when it comes to owning a home

• Nearly seven in 10 individuals are at least somewhat concerned about the availability of affordable housing

• More than three-quarters of Americans consider safe and comfortable housing to be a public health issue

Methodology: 1,000 interviews among adults age 18+ were conducted from February 9 – 13, 2024, using an online survey. The results were weighted to ensure proportional responses. The Bayesian confidence interval for 1,000 interviews is 3.5, which is roughly equivalent to a margin of error of ±3.1 at the 95% confidence level.

Totals may not add up to 100% due to rounding.

TRCC - Housing Survey-FINAL

.pdf

Download PDF • 1.27MB