Moving Because of Unaffordable Housing and Disrupted Social Safety Net

Jennings, PhD, MPHd,k OBJECTIVES: To measure associations between residential moves because of unaffordable hous- abstract ing costs and disruptions in access to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program; the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children; and Medicaid in a health care-based sample of families with young children. [...] moves were associated with 34% higher odds of disruption in WIC access (aOR 1.34; 1.05–1.71), 93% higher odds of Characteristics of Children With Cost-Driven and disruption in SNAP access (aOR 1.93; 1.30–2.86), and 86% Noncost-Driven Moves, Relative to Children With no higher odds of disruption in Medicaid access (aOR 1.86; Moves 1.24–2.78). [...] Stress surrounding a move moves given evidence that the vast majority of evictions may hinder caregivers’ ability to recertify for social safety are because of nonpayment of rent,25 and housing costs are net programs, especially acute stress and the urgency of the leading driver of homelessness in communities.26 How- finding new housing in the context of cost-driven moves ever, some of these moves. [...] These results merit at- Infants, and Children tention from policymakers, particularly given high levels of supervision, funding acquisition, and writing, review, and editing of the manuscript; and all authors approved the final manuscript as submitted and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work. [...] The findings and conclusions in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of the Department of Housing and Urban Development or other government agencies.