Chance of a lifetime - the impact of bad housing on children's lives

By: Lisa Harker
Published: September 2006

Chance of a lifetime - the impact of bad housing on children's lives

The effects of bad housing and homelessness can stay with a child for a lifetime, revealing that the 'housing effect' means:

- children growing up in bad housing have up to 25 per cent higher risk of severe ill-health and disability during childhood and early adulthood - homeless children are up to four times more likely to suffer mental health problems than other children - offending behaviour may be linked to behavioural problems that emerge among children living in poor housing conditions, highlighting evidence that almost half of young offenders have experienced homelessness.