DISPLACEMENT BRIEF
Authors of this publication are solely responsible for the accuracy of statements and interpretation contained herein.
Such interpretations do not necessarily reflect the views of MTC or ABAG.
HOUSINGINSECURITYANDDISPLACEMENTINTHEBAYAREA
TheBayAreaisinthemidstofanunprecedentedperiodof
economicgrowth,addingnearly200,000jobsinthepastdecade.1
Alongwithlagginghousingproductionandrenewedinvestmentin
centralcities,thisgrowthhasfueleddramaticincreasesinhousing
costs,withrentsrisingalmost40%between2010and2014.2Yet,
over1millionjobsregion-widepaylessthan$18perhour(or
$36,000ayearforfulltimework),makingitextremelydifficultto
affordhousing.3Indeed89%ofBayArearenterhouseholds
earninglessthan$35,000ayearareconsideredrent-burdened,
meaningtheyspendmorethan30%oftheirhouseholdbudgeton
housing.4Withbudgetsstretchedtothebreakingpoint,households
experiencehousinginsecurityandarevulnerabletodisplacement
fromtheirhomesandneighborhoods.
FIGURE1:Gentrification,Displacementand
Exclusion
Householdsmaybedisplacedformanyreasons—risingrents,poor
Source:UCBerkeleyREWS
housingorneighborhoodconditions,or(new)developmentto
nameafew—andallthesetypesofdisplacementcanhavehealth
impacts.ResearchindicatesthatnearlyhalfofBayAreacensustractsareaffectedbygentrification,
displacementandexclusion(21%)oratrisk(26%)oftheseoccurring(seeFigure1)5.
TABLE1:GentrificationandDisplacementbyTract
UNDERGOING
& ADVANCED
Alameda
24%
ContraCosta
17%
Marin
18%
Napa
15%
SanFrancisco
25%
SanMateo
28%
SantaClara
24%
Solano
13%
Sonoma
11%
Region
22%
COUNTY
AT RISK
32%
18%
11%
25%
64%
28%
12%
16%
26%
27%
Source: UC Berkeley REWS
TABLE2:PercentofHouseholdsRentBurdenedby
Income
HOUSEHOLD INCOME
Lessthan$35,000
$35-50,000
$50-75,000
Source: UC Berkeley REWS
% RENT
BURDENED
89%
72%
39%
Whileeverycountyandmostcitiesareaffected(seeTable
1),displacementriskisconcentratedamongthe
approximately350,000low-incomerenterhouseholds
withinPriorityDevelopmentAreas.6Inadditiontobeing
slatedforsignificanttransportationinvestments,manyof
theseareasarethefocusofourhealthdepartment’s
resources,asweworktoensurethatresidentshaveaccess
tosafeenvironments,goodjobsandschools,parks,reliable
andaffordabletransportationandotheramenitiesthat
helppeoplelivehealthylivesandimproveachild’schances
ofsuccesslaterinlife.7Displacementcanmeanthat
communitieswithpoorhealthoutcomesfailtobenefitfrom
publicinvestmentsintheirformerneighborhoods.8
Atthesametime,someoutersuburbanareasoftheBay
Areahaveseendramaticincreasesinlow-income
households,andpeopleofcolor.9,10Asthesuburbanization
ofpovertyhasprogressed,fewerlow-incomepeoplelive
neartransit,11whichcanprovideanessentiallifelineto
jobs,schoolsandmedicalappointments.Ithasalsostrained
citybudgets,thesocialsafetynet,philanthropicgivingand
publichealthdepartments—makingitdifficulttokeep
peoplehealthy.12,13,14
HEALTH IMPACTS OF HOUSING INSECURITY AND DISPLACEMENT
Researchshowsthathousingunaffordability,insecurityand
displacementcanimpacthealthinthefollowingways.
CREATING HEALTHY HOUSING:
THE FIVE P’S OF HOUSING STABILITY†
UnhealthyTradeoffs:Whenhousingcostsarehigh,working
familieshavetomakedifficultchoices.
• Householdsmayacceptolderorpoorlymaintainedhousing
thatcontainsmoldorpestswhichcantriggerasthma,orwhich
havedangerousappliances,fixturesandchemicalsthatcanlead
tofalls,burnsandexposuretotoxinssuchaslead.1516
• Low-incomehouseholdsthatcancomfortablyaffordtheir
housingareabletospendalmostfivetimesasmuchon
healthcareandathirdmoreonfoodthantheirseverelycost
burdenedpeers.17They’realsomorelikelytogotomedical
appointmentsandtakeneededmedication.1819
PROTECTIONofexistingresidents.
MentalHealthImpacts:Theemotionaltollofdisplacementand
livingwiththethreatofdisplacementissignificant,affecting
mentalwellbeing,senseofbelongingandcommunitycohesion.
• Peopleexperiencinghousinginsecurityarealmostthreetimes
morelikelytobeinfrequentmentaldistressthanthosewho
havesecurehousing.20
• Researchshowsemotionalstrainfromphysicalenvironments
directlyinfluencetheonsetandseverityofdiseasessuchas
asthma.21
EffectsonChildrenandFamilies:Thehealthimpactsofhousing
instabilityareparticularlyintenseforchildren,causingbehavioral
problems,educationaldelays,depression,lowbirthweights,and
otherhealthconditionssuchasasthma.22,23,24,25,26
• Childrenwhomovefrequentlyhadaoneyearacademicdelay,
lowertestscores,andalowerlikelihoodoffinishingschool,
displacedchildrenarefarmorelikelytohavefrequent
absencesfromschool,27,28,2930andchildrenincrowded
housinghavelowermathandreadingachievementand
behavioralproblems.31
LongCommutes,AirQuality,CongestionandHealth:Without
adequatehousingnearjobcenters,manylow-andmoderateincomeBayAreaemployeesmustcommutelongdistancestowork,
worseningcongestionandairqualityforBayAreacommunities.
• Longcommutingdistanceisassociatedwithlowerratesof
physicalactivity,lowercardio-respiratoryfitness,andhigher
BodyMassIndex,stressandbloodpressure.32
• Residentswhohavebeendisplacedoftenmustcommutelong
distancesandpayhighertransportationcosts;thebenefitof
lower-costhousingcanbegreatlydiminishedifhouseholds
mustpayforlongercommutes.Foreverydollardecreasein
housingcosts,householdsseea77centincreasein
transportationcosts.33
Protectingresidentsmeans
ensuringrenterscanremainin
theirhomesanddon’texperience
thehealthimpactsofhousing
instabilityordisplacementandcan
continuetocontributetoahealthy,
vibrantcommunity.
PRESERVATIONofexistinghousingat
allaffordabilitylevels.Preserving
housingatallaffordabilitylevels
meansacommitmentto
maintainingaffordableunits
despitechangingeconomic
conditions,andreplacingunitsat
thesameaffordabilitylevelsforthe
sameresidentswhenpreserving
unitsisimpossible.Preservationof
housingisinexpensiveandensures
residentscanremainactiveand
engagedinthecommunitiesthey
callhome.
PRODUCTIONofnewhousingunitsat
adiversityofaffordabilitylevels.
Theregionisbehindinhousing
production,particularlyforunits
affordabletolow-incomeresidents.
Regionalentitiescanmake
balancedhousingproductiona
prioritythroughregulationsand
incentivesfordevelopersaswellas
throughacommitmenttousing
publicresourcesforaffordable
housing.
PARTICIPATIONofresidentsand
communityleadersindecisionmakingprocessesthatimpacttheir
housingstability.Truecommunity
participationinplanningprocesses
leadstobetteroutcomesthatwork
forcommunitymembers,andwhen
residentsareengagedand
invested,healthoutcomesimprove.
PLACEMENTofhousingneartransit,
jobsandamenities.Theplaceswe
livehaveahugeimpactonour
health.HousingintheBayArea
shouldsupportresidents’healthin
acomprehensive,holisticway.This
meanslocatinghomesbytransit
andhealthyfoodsourcesandaway
fromsourcesofpollution.
Adapted from Get Healthy San Mateo County
Toviewfullbriefwithcitations,pleasevisit:http://barhii.org/displacement/