Carol Heimer Elyse Kovalsky Northwestern University
Home foreclosure, once a rare occurrence, became widespread in some parts of the U.S. during the recent economic downturn. Previous research suggests that people have increased health problems during times of housing instability, but the reasons for this negative association are not clear. The primary objective of this dissertation is to better understand the mechanisms that explain the relationship between foreclosure and health. The researchers will study families' experiences of housing instability in Stockton, California, a city hard hit by the foreclosure crisis. The project draws on interviews with and long-term observations of families at different stages of homeownership, including families who have already experienced foreclosure, families at risk of foreclosure, and families not presently at risk of foreclosure. The foreclosure process can bring changes in families' financial situations, in where they live and in their social ties. These changes create the possibilities for a wide range of health-related effects. The salience of potential mechanisms identified will also be tested through quantitative analysis of aggregated data on foreclosure and health from California cities. This study focuses on families whose hold on a middle class lifestyle and identity is tethered closely to the idea of homeownership. The investigation will build new theoretical tools for the study of inequality and disadvantage across domains of social life. By identifying mediating processes linking economic and housing instability to health, the study can serve as a framework for thinking about similar connections to other domains.
Broader Impacts
The results of this research have implications beyond the near-term impacts of a family losing their home, and beyond the recent economic crisis. After foreclosure, families may continue to struggle with ruined credit and disrupted lives. Similarly, the experience of foreclosure has parallels to other life events associated with financial distress and economic precariousness, such as eviction, job loss and divorce. Insights from this study can be tested in these other cases of families? experience of social or economic shocks. The mechanisms identified by this study may guide policy in the areas of housing and health. To this end, a major goal of the study is translating research findings to a broader audience of local, state, and federal policymakers designing interventions for families struggling with foreclosure, eviction or homelessness.
