Road Map to a Unified Measure of Housing Insecurity

Robynn Cox
Benjamin Henwood
Seva Rodnyansky
Eric Rice
Suzanne Wenzel
University of Southern California

This article discusses the evolution of the concept and measurement of housing insecurity. Our survey of the literature uncovers that multiple terms and definitions are used to describe housing insecurity. Based on our analysis, we argue for one operational term, housing insecurity, and we put forth an operational definition that captures the various dimensions of this issue. We also argue for the development of an instrument that allows researchers to accurately measure the problem. We provide a road map for how this can be achieved based on the precedent set forth by the U.S. Food Security Survey Module.