“It’s a Process—But It Shouldn’t Take This Long”: The Psychological Burden of Waiting for Rental Assistance

Abstract

A growing and severe shortage of affordable housing in the U.S. has led to an increase in cost-burdened households and housing insecurity nationwide. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) provides rental assistance through programs such as Housing Choice Vouchers and public or project-based housing to increase access to affordable housing. However, available funding for these programs limits their supply, creating extensive waitlists for rental assistance. While the physical and mental health consequences of housing insecurity and cost-burdens are well documented, less is known about how the experience of waiting for rental assistance may contribute to these adverse outcomes. This paper examines qualitative data from a longitudinal mixed-methods study about rental assistance and diabetes self-management. Through thematic analysis of 116 semi-structured interviews collected from 30 unique participants, we describe how the uncertainty of one's waitlist status, an obligation to wait, and a sense of powerlessness in the waiting process contribute to poor mental health among rental assistance applicants. Our findings suggest that the experience of waiting and specific features of the waiting process may exacerbate stressors associated with housing insecurity to the detriment of applicants' psychological wellbeing.