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Housing Problems and Irish Children The Impact of Housing on Children’s Well-being Simon Brooke Housing and social policy consultant ISPA conference 2004 Housing Problems and Irish Children Introduction Aims of study Literature review Analysis of existing data sources in Ireland
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Housing Problems and Irish Children The Impact of Housing on Children’s Well-being Simon Brooke Housing and social policy consultant ISPA conference 2004
Housing Problems and Irish Children • Introduction • Aims of study • Literature review • Analysis of existing data sources in Ireland • Obstacles
Aspects of housing • General health • Unintentional injuries • Lead poisoning • Asthma and respiratory disease • Overcrowding • Affordability • Neighbourhood conditions
Literature review: conclusions • Association between housing problems and well-being widely accepted • Causality not demonstrated in many aspects • Area under-researched • Difficult to determine causality • Housing conditions and environments have improved dramatically in last 100 years • Housing conditions not stable • But … perhaps not essential to demonstrate causality?
Housing Problems and Irish Children Look for: • Disrepair • Dampness • Overcrowding • Affordability • Poor neighbourhoods
Housing problems and Irish Children • Two fruitful data sources: • Local Authority Assessments of Housing Need 1991 – 2002 • Irish National Survey of Housing Quality 2001-2002
Local Authority Assessments of Housing Need 1991 – 2002 • No. of children in LAAHN doubled 1991-2002 • ~ 5.5% of all children in LAAHN in 2002 • ~ 25% of lone parent households in LAAHN compared with 2% of 2 parent households
Local Authority Assessments of Housing Need 1991 – 2002 • No. of households with affordability problems up 233% 1993 – 2002 • 2/3of all households in LAAHN had income < €10,000 p.a. • 20% of all households in LAAHN was lone parent household with one child and income < €10,000 p.a.
Irish National Survey of Housing Quality 2001-2002 Lone parent households experience particular disadvantage in housing
Irish National Survey of Housing Quality 2001-2002 Lone parent households: • Much more likely to rent from local authority • (Local authority tenants experience higher deprivation than other tenures) • More likely to experience dampness or repair problems • More likely to experience neighbourhood problems
Irish National Survey of Housing Quality 2001-2002 Lone parent households: • Much less likely to be owner-occupiers • Much more likely to claim rent supplement • Many experience affordability problems • More likely to have difficulty making ends meet
Particular groups of children • Ethnic minority children • Traveller children • Children in homeless families
Conclusions Four groups affected by relevant conditions: • Children of lone parents in LA housing • Children of 2 parents in LA housing • Children of lone parents in PRS • Children of 2 parents in PRS
Policy recommendations 1/4 • Better data collection in future • Private Rented Residential Tenancies Board • LAAHN • Ethnic monitoring • QNHS • National Longitudinal Study
Policy recommendations 2/4 • Improve quality of LA housing • Abolish remedial works scheme and establish sinking fund • Improve quality of PRS • Higher standards • Better enforcement by Las
Policy recommendations 3/4 • Improve neighbourhoods • Reduce residualisation • Fund multi-disciplinary estate-based management and tenant participation • Consult children • Increase supply of social rented housing • Expenditure should continue to increase
Policy recommendations 4/4 • Minimise affordability problems for lone parent households • Rent supplement • National Children’s Strategy • Raise status of housing