Children Who Move Due to Unaffordable Housing More Likely to Lose Access to Safety Net Programs: Study

Children who experienced a residential move due to unaffordable rents, evictions or foreclosures were also substantially more likely to lose access to safety net programs, just when they needed those services the most, according to a study published in the March 2024 Pediatrics. The study, “Moving Due to Unaffordable Housing and Disrupted Social Safety Net Access Among Children” (published online Feb.  6), reviewed records of children whose cost-driven residential moves were associated with higher odds of disrupted access to the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), or Medicaid. Researchers analyzed Children’s HealthWatch survey data on 9,344 children from Baltimore, Maryland and Philadelphia primary care clinics and pediatric emergency departments between 2011-2019. A total of 1,938 children (21%) experienced a coverage gap for at least one social safety net program. Among these, 1,461 (75%) had disrupted access to WIC; 390 (20%) had disrupted access to SNAP; and 304 (16%) had disrupted access to Medicaid. The study observed that just as moves may disrupt service access, the reverse may also be true: disruption in services could harm family finances, necessitating a cost-driven move. The authors suggest these findings merit attention from policymakers, particularly given high levels of financial strain and housing insecurity among low-income families during the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent period of inflation.  

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The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 67,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well-being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults.