Envisioning Possible Futures: Emerging Adults From Low-Income Families Living in Public Housing and Their Visions About Future Stability and Asset Ownership

Author: Eric N. Waithaka

Dissertation School: University of Washington

Pages: 38

Publication Date: 04/2011

Availability:
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Access Number: 10857

Abstract:

Although, there is a lot of research conducted in the subject of young adulthood, research on young adults (18-25 years) whose families participate or have participated in public or assisted housing programs is an understudied subject. Specifically, very little is known about how young adults from these families think a about the influences of their living arrangements and their subsequent thoughts and actions about their future. Therefore, the goal of this study was to begin filling this gap guided by three main research questions: How do young adults whose families participate in public or assisted housing programs think about the stability or instability in their housing situation; how does their living arrangement influence their visions of "possible futures" (particularly asset ownership); and how do these young adults fare in a high cost private housing market?

This study used a narrative qualitative research methodology and a combination of convenience(purposive and snowball) sampling techniques. Eligibility to this study was limited to individuals between the ages of 18 and 25 years, and they had to come from families that were participating in the Seattle Housing Authority/Seattle Asset Building Initiative (SABI) pilot project or in any other Seattle Housing Authority programs. This study used a topic-based interview schedule as its main data collection instrument. Topic areas included: personal and family background; current housing and living situation; exploration of understanding about asset and wealth accumulation; opportunities or barriers in one's life; and exploration of the beliefs and goals about one's future. Data collection was through use of in-depth conversational interviewing of study participants. Atlas.ti 6.2 was the data management software used for the analysis.

This study successfully recruited 14 young adults who met the 2 study criteria. All 14 participants completed the first of 2 scheduled interviews in the study. Eighty six percent (12) successfully completed the second scheduled interview.

Findings presented in this report are based on the first wave of interviews. This study has three major findings. One, our study respondents did not necessarily think about the stability or instability of their housing situation. Rather, these young adults mostly thought that their housing situations made possible improvements in other aspects of their lives, especially with regard to family relations and educational achievement. Two, we found that our study respondents do think about assets and asset accumulation. A house, a business, or an automobile were the kinds of assets most thought about and desired. However, the achievement of these assets was discussed more in terms of aspirations devoid of realistic expectations and plans of achieving them. Three, a majority of our young adult respondents were still living at home or were housed by somebody else (an older sibling in all cases). Of the four study participants (29 percent) who were living independently, all four were parents, but more surprising, all four were participating in some form of assisted housing program.

In summary, our study suggests that there is need for further research to explore deeper the connections young adults are making between housing and improvements in other areas of their lives. There is also need for researchers and policymakers to start thinking of interventions that would help fill the knowledge gap between asset goals and how these goals can be realized. In addition, there is need for asset researchers and policymakers to start thinking of programs and policy interventions that would assist young adults view human capital advancement as a form of asset development. Lastly, it is important for policymakers especially in housing authorities to consider the myriad challenges that young adults from families that participate in public or assisted housing face as they attempt to set up their own independent homes in various high cost housing markets so that they can create various interventions targeting this specific population group.

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