A Longitudinal Examination of Housing Hardships Among Urban Fathers

• Published date: 01 October 2018
• Date: 01 October 2018
• Author: Amanda Geller,Marah A. Curtis
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/jomf.12492

A G New York University

M A. C University of Wisconsin-Madison∗

A Longitudinal Examination of Housing Hardships

Among Urban Fathers

Stable housing is widely recognized as a pre-

requisite for the functioning of individuals and

families. However, the housing stability of

fathers is understudied, particularly for fathers

living apart from their children. This analysis

measures the extent and nature of fathers’

housing insecurity using the Fragile Fami-

lies and Child Wellbeing Study, a national

longitudinal survey of urban families. Hous-

ing insecurity affects a substantial portion of

fathers, with 25% experiencing insecurity at

least once in their child’s rst 9 years. However,

few fathers report persistent insecurity that

spans consecutive waves. Data also indicate

signicant differences in rates of housing inse-

curity between fathers living with, and apart

from, the mothers of their children, with non-

resident fathers far less likely to report secure

housing and more likely to experience incar-

ceration. The nature of insecurity experienced

by nonresident fathers is also qualitatively dif-

ferent than that experienced by their coresident

counterparts.

New YorkUniversity Department of Sociology, 295

Lafayette St., 4th Floor, New York, NY 10012

(amanda.geller@nyu.edu).

∗University of Wisconsin-Madison, Institute for Research

on Poverty and School of Social Work,University of

Wisconsin-Madison, 1180 Observatory Drive,Madison, WI

53706.

Key Words: cohabitation, cohabiting couples with children,

fathers, FragileFamilies and Child Wellbeing, housing, lon-

gitudinal.

Housing stability and circumstances are

both determinants and indicators of family

well-being. Housing insecurity has the potential

to undermine children’s well-being not only

when their own household experiences insecu-

rity but also through hardships experienced by

a nonresident parent. Most nonresident parents

are fathers, most of whom are involved in the

lives of their children (Argys et al., 2006; Waller

& Swisher, 2006). Unstable housing can cre-

ate a barrier to visitation and the father–child

relationship; however, little is known about the

housing security of fathers, particularly those

who live apart from their children.

We use population-based, longitudinal data

to assess the prevalence and types of hous-

ing hardships faced by urban fathers during a

9-year period. We measure the extent, nature,

and trajectory of fathers’ housing insecurity over

time and differences in the nature of housing

insecurity and potential socioeconomic corre-

lates of this insecurity experienced by coresident

and nonresident fathers. We nd that nonresi-

dent fathers face more and qualitatively differ-

ent insecurity than coresident fathers as well as

greater socioeconomic disadvantage.

H S  F L

Housing security and family relationships are

inextricably linked. Research on family forma-

tion for lower income families is contextualized

by signicant economic instability (Edin &

Kefalas, 2005; Reid & Golub, 2015) with impli-

cations for housing. Relationship changes may

1176 Journal of Marriage and Family 80 (October 2018): 1176–1186

DOI:10.1111/jomf.12492