Arguably, housing crisis has caused havoc to many people in the world. The most affected individuals are the heads of household; this is because they carry the entire burden caused by the crisis. Armour focuses on how heads of households are affected, but this is not the end of the household crisis, there are other individuals who are part of household, of which the housing crisis does not spare them. They include young children, family pets, as well as those who traditionally rent apartment. As a matter of fact, housing crisis in the world has caused havoc to young children. It affects them psychologically, socially, as well as educationally.
Global financial crisis is believed to have tremendously stretched household income to a critical situation. Statistics show that approximately 18 million households in America spent more than half of their annual income on housing costs. This spending affects children directly or indirectly depending on the situation. Certainly, lack of safe and stable home for young children cause tremendous obstacles to their social, behavioral, and cognitive development, especially during their early age (Lovell 2).
Undeniably, young children who are in constant mobility due to the housing crisis are likely to suffer educationally. Housing crisis affects the stability of young children in school; therefore, they will be forced to be change schools due excessive mobility. Studies show that, students who change school have unusually fluctuation rate of performance. This is because they do not have proficiency in studying like other stable students. Due to instability, young children can be forced to drop out of school. Additionally, due to financial reasons parents in some situations spent all their money in paying house rent, making them not able to pay school fees (Partnership for America’s Economic Success 2)
Housing crisis also affects the behavior of young children. Mobility of children, from one neighborhood to another, leads to delinquent and poor behavior. Due to mobility, young children are forced to change behavior so as to adjust to changes. In this case, other will totally weaken into the surroundings, while the brave ones will fight so as to fit the new environment. Research shows that movement of children increases the probability of violence (Rhodes 4).
Housing crisis exposes the physical health of young children to risk. When families receive foreclosure of their house, they are forced to live in less expensive and poorly constructed houses; other even spend days and night in the open (Lovell 3). Therefore, the unfavorable condition exposes young children to diseases; of which heads-of-household has nothing to spend on health issues. Additionally, unstable housing correlate with health issues, which include health body condition. Overcrowding is one of the outcome housing crises, which in turn causes health problems.
Conclusively, housing crisis affects young children in society. When there is hosing crisis children education system is disrupted, peer relationship is destroyed, as well as social networks are put to an end. In fact, their emotional health, education, physical health, as well as the general well-being of young children is put at risk. Therefore, much attention should be focused on the unnoticed and unintended impact of the housing crisis on children. Analytically, the most vulnerable group during housing crisis is the young children, yet minimal focus is placed on them. Young children are still growing; hence, what affects them at an early age will haunt them for the rest of their life. Policies should be put in place so as to help the affected innocent children.
Work cited
Lovell, P. The Impact of the Mortgage Crisis on Children and Their Education. First Focus,
Making Children & Families Priority.
Partnership for America’s Economic Success. The Hidden Costs of Housing Crisis. July 2008,
Issue 7.
Rhodes, V. Kids on the Move: The effects of student Mobility on NCLB Schools Accountability
Ratings. Vol. 3, Issue 3. Spring, 2005.
