Demonstrators gather outside the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC, USA, on Sunday, August 1, 2021, during a protest against the expiration of the eviction moratorium.
Stefanie Reynolds | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Renters burdened with unaffordable housing costs may be at higher risk of dying earlier, according to a new study published in the journal Social Science & Medicine.
A person who paid 50% of their income on rent in 2000 was 9% more likely to die in the next 20 years than someone who paid 30% of their income on rent, researchers found Princeton University and the US Census Bureau Center for Economic Studies. Someone who pays 70% of their income on rent is 12% more likely to die.
“We were surprised by the magnitude of the association between costs and mortality risk,” said Nick Graetz, a postdoctoral researcher at Princeton University and lead author of the study. “This is a particularly big problem when you consider how many people are affected by rising rents. That’s not uncommon.”
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Rising rents have far outpaced wages, with the typical renter in the US paying 30% or more of their income for housing. In 2019, 4 out of 5 renter households with incomes under $30,000 were rent burdened.
The Princeton researchers worked with the Census Bureau to create a data set that allowed them to track individual renters starting in 2000. They analyzed millions of records to understand the connection between rent burden, eviction and mortality for people.
In addition to the impact of unaffordable rent, they found that even the threat of eviction was associated with a 19% increase in mortality. Receiving an eviction judgment was associated with a 40 percent increase in the risk of death.
CNBC interviewed Graetz about the study results. The interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
“When rents go up, families cut back on other expenses.”
Annie Nova: Why does rent burden increase mortality?
Nick Graetz: We know that housing is the top cost for American families, and as rents rise, families cut back on other expenses, including on essentials that impact their health.
For example, poor households with children who are moderately rent-burdened and spend 30 to 50% of their income on rent spend 57% less on health care and 17% less on food than comparable unburdened households.
AN: Why is eviction associated with higher mortality even more than rent burden?
from: An eviction is a truly traumatic event that results in exclusion from social insurance programs such as Medicaid. It can also lead to job loss and a variety of other negative consequences.
Eviction can jeopardize a person's physical and mental health by exposing them to prolonged periods of intense housing distress, including homelessness and acute stress.
In addition, eviction can increase the risk of infection, as was the case during the Covid-19 pandemic. Even having just one eviction petition on your record can limit your ability to secure safe and stable housing in the future, which can impact health outcomes.
Current system makes it “difficult to retain housing”
AN: What change efforts do you hope to see in response to your findings?
from: In this new paper, we show that with rent burdens now reaching record levels, we should consider measures to reduce evictions and ensure affordable housing not just as housing policy, but as important health policy.
In general, we live in a system that makes it really difficult to keep our housing if we have a problem. A sudden health problem in your family, a car accident, or another unexpected problem can lead to eviction in a short period of time.
It's especially important to act now: Eviction filings are increasing in every city and state we track.
AN: Are there any current policies in place that will improve the issue?
from: Across the U.S., cities and states are trying different and sometimes overlapping policies to promote housing stability and prevent evictions.
Some important legal aid programs include the right to counsel. Providing tenants with legal assistance dramatically increases the likelihood that they will remain in their homes. Because of the City of New York's right to consult in eviction court, 84% of represented tenants facing eviction remain housed. In Cleveland, 93% of represented tenants facing eviction avoid eviction.
Many states and cities, such as Rhode Island and DC, are considering programs such as rent control and public housing that are characterized by mixed income, mixed use, and greater resident participation in governance than traditional public housing.
We must create a country where quality housing is affordable for everyone.
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