Does Inadequate Housing Perpetuate Children's Poverty?

Abstract

Increasing numbers of children in the United States live in housing that is considered substandard. However, there is little understanding of the long-term impact of such housing for children. Using a framework provided by prospective studies of resilience, this article draws on ethnographic research to speculate on the significance of unsuitable housing for the long-term capacity of children to break out of poverty. Events and circumstances in the household lives of three young children are examined closely in order to clarify the connections between specific dimensions of housing, parental behavior and the children's sense of identity, trust, autonomy, competence and general development. Evidence gathered through both interviews and observation suggests that inadequate housing contributes, along with other factors, to patterns of behavior and perception that can undermine positive development and perpetuate disadvantage. The implications for policy and practice are discussed.