1. Non-Housing Outcomes of Accessible and Affordable Housing
Presentation to NHRC November 23rd, 2015
Steve Pomeroy
Focus Consulting Inc. &
Carleton University Centre for Urban Research and Education (CURE), Ottawa
Focus Consulting inc. CURE (C) 2015

2. Objective
Update review of empirical research evidence linking affordable adequate and stable housing to a range of outcomes
Previous reviews
SHS 2009: State of knowledge (education, skill development and employment)
PRA 2011Measuring the Social, Economic and Environmental Outcomes of Good housing
Purpose was to update with empirical literature since 2009
SHS 2009 Overview of Current state of Knowledge on Societal Outcomes of Housing – examined domains of education, skill development and employment
PRA 2011 Measuring the Social, Economic and Environmental Outcomes of Good housing
Focus Consulting inc. CURE (C) 2015

3. Themes examined Health Family stability Education
Focus Consulting Inc. 2015
Themes examined
Health
Family stability
Education
Labour market and employment
Crime and safety
Multiple Outcomes

4. Identify research that explicitly examines housing
Focus Consulting Inc. 2015
Identify research that explicitly examines housing
Housing either the dependent variable; or
One of a number of outcomes, but explicitly examined and empirically evaluated
Identified 235 research articles (published since 2009)
Retained 170 that had some element of empirical analysis

5. Focus on intentional interventions
Focus Consulting Inc. 2015
Focus on intentional interventions
Concept of “housing is complex and multi dimensional
Sought to identify literature that was explicit about form of housing being assessed
Policy perspective want to assess potential impacts of purposeful designed program and policy interventions
E.g. what does “affordable housing entail”
And provided empirical research evidence

6. Focus Consulting Inc. 2015
Nuanced findings
Much rhetoric and generalizes about positive benefit of affordable and appropriate housing
Little evidence of sound statistically reliable evidence directly linking a housing characteristic with a positive outcome
Most outcomes are indirect and intermediate
Linkages and association, but not necessarily causality (evidence is inconclusive)

7. Housing one of many influences
Focus Consulting Inc. 2015
Housing one of many influences
Other concurrent influences both mediate or reinforce housing effects
Neighbourhood effects especially important
In sum, the impacts of affordable housing are often hard to measure and to isolate from the impacts of other significant factors

8. Focus Consulting Inc. 2015
Conceptual framework

9. Limitations and caveats
Focus Consulting Inc. 2015
Limitations and caveats
Focus on empirical with defined housing intervention
Heavy bias to US literature – demonstration research (MTO) a randomized experiment with control groups
Focus on program outcomes – selection bias to more disadvantaged sample (including minorities and homeless)
Limited empirical research on small scale community based, non US

10. Findings - Health Area with strongest evidence base
Focus Consulting Inc. 2015
Findings - Health
Area with strongest evidence base
Dwelling condition related to molds toxins etc. as well as to risk of accidents
Strong evidence of health impacts and costs
Some evidence identifies mental health and stress associated with crowding, high costs and poor dwelling condition
Results vary across socio-economic groups , gender and country

11. Findings- Family Stability
Focus Consulting Inc. 2015
Findings- Family Stability
Existence or absence of disruptive influences
Stress, family breakdown, moving, homelessness
Affordability positively associated with improved stability
But overall residential instability yields mixed results
Cumulative stress does impact children outcomes)

12. Findings - Education Inconclusive evidence
Focus Consulting Inc. 2015
Findings - Education
Inconclusive evidence
Critical intervening influence of neighbourhood and mobility (much US research via MTO etc.)
Education attainment mainly influenced by location (quality of schools) – different housing mechanisms can impact, e.g. if facilitate and result in moving to different schools

13. Findings – Employment and Labour Market
Focus Consulting Inc. 2015
Findings – Employment and Labour Market
Inconclusive empirical evidence re improved employment outcomes following affordable housing help
Some negative outcomes due to work disincentive effects of affordable housing program design (especially RGI based)

14. Findings – Crime and safety
Focus Consulting Inc. 2015
Findings – Crime and safety
Research frequent reactive – re stereotyping of assisted housing as crime ridden
Extensive research to try and explain and rationalize high crime rates in/near public housing
Some improved safety under housing mobility programs

15. The research challenge
Focus Consulting Inc. 2015
The research challenge
Search for conclusive evidence is challenging
Important of other concurrent influences, especially n’hood and family status, prior experience and sample selection bias
It is not surprising that most empirical research finds that assisted tenants have lower employment and greater poverty. It is not because they are in assisted housing that they are poor; they are in assisted housing because they are poor and disadvantaged.

16. Research Implications
Focus Consulting Inc. 2015
Research Implications
Housing alone insufficient – require ancillary pro-active initiatives (skills training, parenting skills after school supports etc.)
Can we assess the impacts of purposeful supports
Non US (and especially Canadian) research is notably lacking,
especially re smaller scale community based programing more typical in Canada

17. Focus Consulting Inc. 2015
Thank you!