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Utah Housing Crisis and Its Effects on Mental Health

	Proper and affordable housing is a fundamental human need that plays such a massive role in the lives of humans. A lack of affordable housing can cause many serious problems in an individual’s life and particularly, it can have many negative effects on the mental health of the people who are affected by this issue. Unfortunately, the state of Utah, just like several other states, have been severely affected by the housing crisis in the past couple of years. According to ABC4 News, “Utah’s housing prices have increased at a faster rate than the national average since 2000. A house that would have cost $190,000 in 2000, now costs $560,000, which is about a 200% increase” (Suggs). Such high increases in house prices have made it extremely difficult for lower class and middle class people to afford housing and have had a significant impact on the mental health of those who aren’t able to find housing. 	The recent inflation and rapid increase in house prices have affected a very large percentage of Utah citizens. In recent years, the stress caused by the difficulty of finding affordable housing has become a huge issue in the state of Utah. According to a Utah Foundation study, it has been reported that 44% of Utahns have experienced or know somebody who has experienced housing stress in the past year (Utah Foundation, 2018). In the same study it has also been reported that about 20% of Utahns have experienced or know someone who has experienced homelessness. These numbers perfectly demonstrate the scale of this issue and just how common this is. In general, this is a very common issue, especially in highly populated areas mostly due to the supply and demand factor of the market. As the article ‘The Mental Health Consequences of the Global Housing Crisis’ states “It is reported that the housing crisis…can cause numerous health issues such as serious psychiatric disorders, stress, anxiety, and depression. It is further reported that the problem is particularly severe in major metropolitan areas where demand for housing exceeds supply, leading to high prices” (Alpha Psychiatry, Okan). In this part of the article, the author represents not only the root of the problem which happens to be the disproportion in supply and demand but also the severe effects of the problem on the mental health of those affected by it. 	Despite the housing crisis and its effects on mental health already being a huge problem, there is another issue that lies within. This being the effects of the housing crisis on particularly low-income families and people experiencing homelessness. This particular group of people is experiencing arguably even worse problems related to mental health. The Utah Department of health has conducted a study in which they found that people experiencing homelessness are a lot more likely to experience mental health issues. It has been found that about 46% of Utahns experiencing homelessness are having symptoms of depression and anxiety (Utah Department of Health, 2017). The depression and anxiety that so many lower income people are feeling comes from not only the stress caused by the fluctuating housing market but also by the way it affects their self-esteem. According to the article ‘Quality Matters: Housing and Mental Health of Rural Migrants in Urban China’ it states that “poor housing may impair self esteem, which is a reflection of an individual's social standing and level of achievement to the outside world” (Housing Studies, Shenghua). What this author is saying is that on top of all of the problems that the housing crisis presents to lower income people, they are also presented with an additional problem which is societal pressure. Many people are often afraid of how they are perceived or even feel embarrassed of the situation that they are in due to not being able to afford good housing. This can have serious effects on the mental health of an individual and cause depression, social anxiety and other mental health related issues. 	To conclude this, it is easy to understand how the housing crisis in Utah is having detrimental effects on the mental health of so many families and people. The unstable and constantly fluctuating housing market in the state of Utah can lead to several mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, constant feeling of uncertainty and many more. This is especially true when counting the experiences of more vulnerable individuals such as those with low income or homelessness. This is an important issue that so many people overlook and to finally begin addressing these problems, particularly in the state of Utah, it is important to raise awareness about the unaffordable housing and begin to prioritize showing support to those people who have been significantly impacted by this problem. 

References: Çalıyurt, O. (2022). The Mental Health Consequences of the Global Housing Crisis. Alpha Psychiatry, 23(6), 264–265. https://doi-org.libprox1.slcc.edu/10.5152/alphapsychiatry.2022.17112022  End utah homelessness. Utah HMIS. (2020, October 1). Retrieved February 21, 2023, from https://utahhmis.org/endutahhomelessness/   2020 Utah Priorities Project. Utah Foundation. (2023, January 30). Retrieved February 21, 2023, from https://www.utahfoundation.org/2020-utah-priorities-project/   Suggs, E. (2022, December 7). Housing prices in Utah have increased by 200% since 2000. ABC4 Utah. Retrieved February 21, 2023, from https://www.abc4.com/news/local-news/housing-prices-in-utah-have-increased-by-200-since-2000/   Xie, S. (2019). Quality matters: housing and the mental health of rural migrants in urban China. Housing Studies, 34(9), 1422–1444. https://doi-org.libprox1.slcc.edu/10.1080/02673037.2019.1577956

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