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Do childhood experiences of parental separation lead to homelessness?

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  • Moschion, Julie
  • van Ours, Jan C.

Abstract

This paper investigates whether parental separation increases the likelihood of becoming homeless for disadvantaged households. Previous studies have only provided descriptive evidence for the general population suggesting that parental separations relate to reductions in housing quality and stability. Using a unique dataset of disadvantaged Australians who provide retrospective information on parental separation and housing circumstances, we examine transitions into homelessness following parental separation. Accounting for observed as well as unobserved family and individual characteristics, and exploiting the timing of events, we show that parental separation significantly increases the likelihood of experiencing homelessness among children under the age of 12. For older children, parental separation increases the likelihood of boys becoming homeless, but not girls.

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  • Moschion, Julie & van Ours, Jan C., 2019. "Do childhood experiences of parental separation lead to homelessness?," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 111(C), pages 211-236.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:eecrev:v:111:y:2019:i:c:p:211-236
    DOI: 10.1016/j.euroecorev.2018.09.005
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    Cited by:

    1. Moschion, Julie & van Ours, Jan C., 2022. "Do early episodes of depression and anxiety make homelessness more likely?," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 202(C), pages 654-674.
    2. Moschion, Julie & van Ours, Jan C., 2021. "Do transitions in and out of homelessness relate to mental health episodes? A longitudinal analysis in an extremely disadvantaged population," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 279(C).
    3. Landaud, Fanny, 2021. "From employment to engagement? Stable jobs, temporary jobs, and cohabiting relationships," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 73(C).
    4. Shannon Ward & Jenny Williams & Jan C. van Ours, 2021. "Delinquency, Arrest and Early School Leaving," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 83(2), pages 411-436, April.
    5. Suziedelyte, Agne & Zhu, Anna, 2021. "The intergenerational impact of reduced generosity in the social safety net," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 192(C), pages 1-24.
    6. O'Flaherty, Brendan, 2019. "Homelessness research: A guide for economists (and friends)," Journal of Housing Economics, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 1-25.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Parental separation; Homelessness; Australia;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D12 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Consumer Economics: Empirical Analysis
    • J12 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Marriage; Marital Dissolution; Family Structure

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