When housing becomes unaffordable, the consequences extend far beyond financial strain, particularly for Black Americans who face disproportionate barriers to stable housing due to decades of discriminatory policies. A recent study reveals how spending more than 30% of income on housing creates a cascade of health problems affecting mental, physical, and social well-being.
Researchers interviewed 33 residents and staff members in historic Black neighborhoods in west Atlanta, uncovering troubling patterns. The stress of rising rent and property taxes manifested in anxiety attacks severe enough to require hospitalization, new diagnoses of high blood pressure, and stress-induced skin conditions. One participant described being hospitalized three times in a single year for what felt like heart attacks but were actually anxiety attacks triggered by working multiple jobs to afford housing.
The mental burden extends beyond individual health. Residents described how financial pressure strains family relationships and forces people to work such long hours that they lack time to prepare nutritious meals or maintain social connections. Legacy homeowners, particularly seniors on fixed incomes, face unique anguish watching family homes slip away due to escalating property taxes on gentrifying blocks.
Black Americans experience the nation’s lowest homeownership rates at 45%, compared to 72% for white Americans. Despite representing only 14% of the population, roughly one in three people experiencing homelessness in 2024 was Black. These disparities stem from historical discrimination including redlining, racial covenants, and contemporary practices like predatory lending and biased home appraisals.
See: “Hidden costs of unaffordable housing: Exploring the multidimensional and intersecting health effects on Black Americans” (October 28, 2025)
