The University of Houston (UH) has partnered with Fort Bend County Health and Human Services and PolicyMap, a data analytics organization, to research the connection between housing instability and mental health. The study aims to better understand how unstable housing affects mental health and use these insights to improve the county’s social services.
The research team plans to survey approximately 850 residents across Fort Bend County to identify the areas most impacted by housing instability. The survey will focus on a range of housing challenges, from homelessness and evictions to difficulties with paying rent or a mortgage.
“We want to understand the full spectrum of housing instability and how it might impact mental health. Ultimately, the goal is to help the county develop more effective interventions,” said Jeronimo Cortina, UH associate professor and principal investigator of the study.
Cortina, who is collaborating with Shannon Gore, assistant division manager at Fort Bend Social Services; Jason Linderman, senior data analyst at PolicyMap; and UH colleague Renjie Hu, emphasized the importance of understanding the various ways housing instability affects mental well-being.
The study is being funded by a $500,000 grant from the AIM-AHEAD Consortium, an initiative supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
“Fort Bend County is one of the fastest-growing and most diverse counties in the United States, and this study presents a unique opportunity to address an urgent issue in the community,” Cortina said.
The results of the survey will provide crucial data to help shape policies and improve mental health support services for residents facing housing instability in Fort Bend County.
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