Severe housing and neighborhood inequities of households with disabled members and households in need of long-term services and supports

Abstract

A growing body of research underscores housing security as a critical determinant of healthy community living. Another body of research finds that households with people with disability are more likely to live in poor-quality housing and neighborhoods, challenging their ability for community engagement and healthy living. In this paper we focus on housing security indicators for two groups, households with a disabled member and households with a disabled member in need of long-term services and supports (LTSS). Our empirical goals are twofold: 1) Extend existing research on disparities in housing security for households with a disabled member compared to non-disability households overall, and 2) Compare housing security among LTSS disability, non-LTSS disability, and non-disability households. Using 2017 American Housing Survey data, we measure housing security in three areas: housing quality, neighborhood quality, and housing affordability. Weighted descriptive analysis and multivariate logistic regressions show that households with members with disabilities overall and LTSS disability households specifically consistently have the worst housing outcomes. Despite concerted efforts and federal law, LTSS disability households continue to live in poorer-quality housing and neighborhoods than non-LTSS disability households. Addressing these housing inequities is critical to enable people with disabilities to live healthier and community-integrated lives.

Keywords:

• Disability
• LTSS disability
• housing security
• housing inequities

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. Please note that our definitions of disability households are for operationalizing our analysis only and not to characterize households.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research [90RTCP0004].The contents of this article were developed under a grant from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR grant number 90RTCP0004. NIDILRR is a Center within the Administration for Community Living (ACL), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The contents of this article do not necessarily represent the policy of NIDILRR, ACL, or HHS, and one should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.

Notes on contributors

Tatjana Meschede

Tatjana Meschede, PhD, is the Associate Director of the Institute for Economic and Racial Equity, and Senior Scientist/Senior Lecturer at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University. Dr. Meschede’s research focuses on housing and homelessness and racial wealth disparities.

Kartik Trivedi

Kartik Trivedi is a PhD candidate at Brandeis University. His work focuses on disability policy and barriers affecting inclusion of people with disabilities in social spaces.

Joe Caldwell

Joe Caldwell, PhD, is Senior Scientist and Director of the Community Living Policy Center, within the Lurie Institute for Disability Policy at Brandeis University. His work focuses on home and community-based services and supports for individuals with disabilities, older adults, and family caregivers.