Californians Faced Issues of Housing and Access to Health Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Summary: This brief describes the relationship between housing affordability and housing stability and health care access during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic using the 2021 California Health Interview Survey (CHIS).
Findings: Data from CHIS show that about 1 in 10 California adults reported having financial difficulties paying for their rent or mortgage in 2021 because of the COVID-19 outbreak or had difficulty paying for housing due to COVID-19, and 4.4% reported that their current housing situation felt unstable. Those who had difficulty paying for housing and those who had housing instability were more likely to lack health insurance, and forgo preventive care and healthy food choices. Those who had difficulty paying for housing and those who had housing instability varied widely by homeownership status, race or ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, and citizenship status.
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