Poor housing conditions can harm children’s health and significantly impact their social and emotional development, new research by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) has found.

According to the findings, the longer children are exposed to inadequate housing from the time they are born up to the age of nine years, the more harm they experience.

Using data on children born in 2007 and 2008 from the Growing Up in Ireland (GUI) study, the ESRI researchers noted that the majority of children in Ireland are living in adequate housing. However, some are living in inadequate housing, which includes homes that lack heating, lack space and are damp.

The research found that at the age of nine, 75% of children lived in owner-occupied housing, 12% in social housing, 11% in the private rented sector and just over 1% were living with their parent(s) in their grandparents’ home.

Overall, one in 10 lived in unsuitable housing, mainly due to the size of the accommodation. A similar proportion of children lived in homes that parents could not afford to keep warm, while almost one in five were living in neighbourhoods that parents felt had higher levels of disorder, such as rubbish and vandalism.

For some children, inadequate housing conditions were a persistent problem throughout their childhood. Some 7% of children spent persistent periods in homes that parents could not afford to keep warm, while a similar proportion spent much of their childhood in housing that was too small. Around 16% spent persistent periods living in neighbourhoods with higher levels of disorder.

Problems related to housing quality were more common among those living in the private rented and social rented sectors (social housing).

When it came to children’s health, respiratory problems were more common in nine-year-olds who spent longer living in poor housing conditions, such as damp homes.

Children who grew up in inadequately heated homes were also more likely to have worse health and experience more accidents or injuries requiring medical treatment. Childhood accidents were also more prevalent in disorderly neighbourhoods.

Longer exposure to poor housing conditions also significantly impacted children’s social and emotional development. Nine-year-olds who spent more of their childhood in homes that were not warm enough, that were too small or that were located in more disorderly neighbourhoods faced more social and emotional difficulties than those growing up in better-quality housing.

Furthermore, nine-year-olds who grew up in more disorderly neighbourhoods or in homes that parents felt were not child-friendly had less positive interactions with others compared to their peers.

The researchers also noted that the impact of moving house on children’s wellbeing depended on their families’ socio-economic background. Moving house was linked to better wellbeing among children in the top fifth of household incomes. However, among children in the bottom fifth of household incomes, moving house was associated with a significant increase in social and emotional difficulties.

“A significant minority of children experience periods of inadequate housing over their childhood and some spend years exposed to poor housing conditions, with negative impacts on their social and emotional development and health.

“This reports shows that current housing policy needs to focus as much attention on housing quality and adequacy as supply and affordability for the wellbeing of children and families,” commented James Laurence, lead author of the report into the findings.

The research can be viewed here.