Overcrowding in Nevada Housing

Most of us have experienced overcrowded housing occasionally, even if only for a few days when family comes from out of town to visit. For a few days it can even be fun, but we no doubt have experienced some of the downsides: less privacy, more noise, competition for the bathroom and difficulty getting a good night’s sleep. Some research has shown that overcrowded housing conditions are associated with more incidence of disease, lower grades and higher levels of behavioral problems at school and other undesirable effects.[i]

There are many measures of overcrowding: persons per square feet, persons per bedroom, persons per room and other hybrid measures.  How does the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development define overcrowding? In the CHAS (Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy) data overcrowding is defined by persons per room excluding bathrooms and halls. An apartment or other home with more than one person per room is considered crowded. If there are more than 1.5 persons per room the housing unit is considered severely overcrowded.

In Nevada, rates of overcrowding and severe overcrowding were highest in renter households in very low income households (households with median income below 50% of area median income) where 10% of households were estimated to be overcrowded and 3% severely overcrowded. For 2010 to 2014 data, an estimated 14,000 very low income households had overcrowding or severe overcrowding. Higher income renters and even homeowners also experienced overcrowding although at lower rates. Overall about 52,000 households were estimated to be overcrowded in Nevada with an overall rate of overcrowding of 5% and of severe overcrowding of 1%.

For more information and a detailed table please see: https://housing.nv.gov/programs/Low_Income_Housing_Database/ 

i. Claudia D. Solari and Robert D. Mare, 2012. Housing Crowding Effects on Children’s Wellbeing, Social Sciences Research Mar. 2012; 41(2): 464-476. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3805127/

Yong Liu, MD, MS, et al. 2014. Relationships Between Housing and Food Insecurity, Frequent Mental Distress, and Insufficient Sleep Among Adults in 12 US States, 2009. Prev Chronic Dis. 2014; 11: E37.