Research Papers

Ongoing scholarly work using Western Baseline Survey data.

Housing Stress & Well-Being

Housing-Related Financial Strain and Household Well-Being: Evidence from the Western United States

Kibria, A., Weerasekara, N., & Lewin, P. (2026). Manuscript in preparation. Western Rural Development Center, University of Idaho.

Manuscript in preparation

85%

of the effect of housing stress on mental health operates through financial stress, making financial strain the central pathway.

Key Findings

  • Housing stress significantly increases financial stress.
  • Financial stress is the strongest predictor of mental health, food security, and community satisfaction outcomes.
  • Roughly 85% of housing stress’s effect on mental health operates through financial stress.
  • Effects on community satisfaction are also largely mediated by financial stress.
  • Results remain robust after accounting for employment status, rural residence, demographic characteristics, and alternative estimation methods.

Summary

Rising housing costs place financial pressure on many households, but the effects extend beyond housing itself. This study examines how difficulty paying rent or mortgage costs influences mental health, food security, and community satisfaction among residents of the Western United States.

Housing stress significantly increases financial stress, which serves as the primary pathway through which housing-related challenges affect well-being — and is strongly associated with poorer mental health, greater food insecurity, and lower community satisfaction.

Policies that reduce housing-related financial burdens may improve not only housing stability but also broader social, health, and quality-of-life outcomes.

Abstract

Housing affordability has emerged as a growing concern for households across the United States, yet less is known about the mechanisms through which housing-related financial strain affects well-being. This study examines how housing stress influences mental health, food security, and community satisfaction, with a particular focus on the mediating role of financial stress. Using survey data from the Western United States, we construct a standardized measure of housing stress based on households’ ability to meet rent or mortgage obligations and estimate regression and structural equation models. Results indicate that housing stress is strongly associated with increased financial stress, which in turn has significant effects on all well-being outcomes. Mediation analysis shows that the effects of housing stress on mental health and community satisfaction operate primarily through financial stress, while both direct and indirect pathways contribute to food security outcomes. The results highlight financial stress as a key mechanism linking housing affordability challenges to broader household and community well-being, and suggest that policies addressing housing affordability may yield wider social and economic benefits.

citation

Kibria, A., Weerasekara, N., & Lewin, P. (2026). Housing-related financial strain and household well-being: Evidence from the Western United States [Manuscript in preparation]. Western Rural Development Center, University of Idaho.