Housing insecurity is the lack of security in an individual shelter that is the result of high housing costs relative to income and is associated with poor housing quality, unstable neighborhoods, overcrowding, and homelessness.[1]
Housing shortages are a primary cause of high housing prices and rents[citation needed!]. Climate change has also increased average housing costs with higher insurance premiums[2] and power bills[3] while also increasing displacement risks, especially in coastal areas.[4][5]
I already knew well that the poor, communities of color, and Indigenous groups are likely to suffer first and worst from the drivers and impacts of climate change—from displacement to housing insecurity to air pollution and its public-health risks.
A new report released this week by the Environmental Protection Agency projects the devastating health impact of climate change on children. Effects include higher rates of respiratory disease, reduced academic achievement, higher rates of infections and risk of housing insecurity in coastal cities.