DOES INADEQUATE HOUSING PERPETUATE CHILDRENS POVERTY

Increasing numbers of children in the United States live in housing th at is considered substandard. However, there is little understanding o f the longterm impact of such housing for children. Using a framework provided by prospective studies of resilience, this article draws on e thnographic research to speculate on the significance of unsuitable ho using for the long-term capacity of children to break out of poverty. Events and circumstances in the household lives of three young childre n are examined closely in order to clarify the connections between spe cific dimensions of housing, parental behavior and the children's sens e of identity, trust, autonomy, competence and general development. Ev idence gathered through both interviews and observation suggests that inadequate housing contributes, along with other factors, to patterns of behavior and perception that can undermine positive development and perpetuate disadvantage. The implications for policy and practice are discussed.