“Bridging the Gap Between Poverty and Self-Sufficiency Through Housing and Education”

Research on the correlations between income, education, and housing and particularly the effects it has on single mothers, their children, and the community.

Abstract

Poverty and housing have a complex relationship that continuously shifts based on socio-economic trends and government policy.  Between the basic human needs of generating income and the expense of housing a family, there is the issue of raising children in the realm of poverty and the detrimental effects it has on them and the generations that follow.  This issue is not only evaluated in terms of individual changes and betterment, but also in terms of a societal increase in quality of life and community economy.  This paper uses an independent survey and then applies regression analysis methodology to assess the relationships between the dependent variable of annual income and independent variables of age, sex, marital status, education, parent education and housing status and expense.  The outcome of this study is that age, marital status and education levels have a strong positive influence on a person’s income.  Education is found to be the variable that is the most constant in economic stability by means of increased income outside of marital status and this increase in income directly influences the amount individuals spent on housing expense.  The goal is to apply this knowledge to educating single mothers through providing her with affordable housing so she can use this savings in housing expense as an opportunity to complete her post-secondary education.  As the research herein explains, this example will lead to financial stability for the family as well as an increase in economic output.  HERIndependence starts with education and uses housing as a bridge for single mothers to transition from poverty to self-sufficiency and independence.

Rebekah Lambooy
College of Charleston, December 2016

Please follow the link below to the full research paper.

"Bridging the Gap Between Poverty and Self-Sufficiency through Housing and Education"

Please find the dichotomized regression analysis here: Regression Analysis