New research from the Children’s HealthWatch finds that unstable and unaffordable housing is a major drain on the U.S. health system’s budget, expected to contribute an estimated $111 billion in avoidable health and education expenditures over the next 10 years. About 70% of this expenditure ($76.8 billion) is forecast to cover treating mothers experiencing physical and mental ailments attributable to housing conditions, while 30% ($34.3 billion) would go to treating similar conditions in their children. These costs include more hospitalizations, medications, mental and physical health care services, and special education services for children.
These findings indicate that investments in healthy, stable, affordable housing not only benefit individual families, but create cost savings for broader health care and education systems. Learn more about the connections between affordable housing and health care, as well as impacts on educational outcomes, at Housing Research, and see how the Agency’s programs are making a difference at Agency Investment Impacts.
