Housing costs are affecting daily decisions, well-being and future plans for millions of people, according to a new study based on the experiences of 30,758 people across 22 countries.
The study found that having a home does not necessarily mean having housing stability. For three out of four people surveyed, covering housing costs meant cutting other expenses, using money set aside for emergencies or taking on additional commitments to remain in their homes.
Seventy-five percent of respondents said they reduced at least one expense during the past year to cover housing costs. Among them, 33% cut spending on food, 32% used savings or emergency funds and 13% delayed or avoided medical care. Another 31% said they took on additional work to manage housing expenses.
The challenge does not end when housing is secured
The pressure is greater for people with fewer housing alternatives. The share of respondents who reduced an expense to cover housing costs rose to 89% among those living in informal housing and 84% among lower-income households, compared with 75% overall.
These are among the main findings of “A Home, But at What Cost?”, the latest global housing research from Habitat for Humanity.
The results show that the financial strain can continue after people find a place to live. Forty-eight percent of respondents said an unexpected problem or setback could put their ability to remain in their home at risk. Among people living in informal housing, that figure rose to 68%.
The study also found a connection between housing costs and perceptions of safety. Globally, 40% of respondents said they accept some level of housing-related risk because safer options are beyond their reach. The proportion rose to 61% among those living in informal conditions.
Housing concerns across Latin America and the Caribbean
The research included six countries in Latin America and the Caribbean: Argentina, Barbados, Brazil, Guatemala, Mexico and Trinidad and Tobago.
Across those countries, 74% of respondents said many people live in homes where feeling safe in their surroundings is not guaranteed, compared with 62% across all 22 countries surveyed.
Protection from extreme weather also emerged as an important part of the housing experience in the region.
Eighteen percent of respondents in Latin America and the Caribbean said their homes do not adequately protect them from conditions such as heat, cold or flooding. Another 26% identified protection from extreme weather as one of their main priorities when considering better housing.
In Mexico and Barbados, 31% of respondents identified protection from extreme weather as a major housing priority. In Trinidad and Tobago, 23% said they had postponed or avoided improvements that could reduce the effects of extreme weather because of housing costs.
The findings suggest that housing concerns in the region extend beyond affordability to include whether people can remain in their homes, feel safe and protect themselves from environmental conditions.
Housing costs affect future plans
Housing pressure is also influencing decisions about the future.
Fifty-six percent of respondents said housing costs make it difficult to consider starting a family. That figure rose to 62% among Generation Z and Millennials.
Among parents surveyed, 58% said they fear housing costs are limiting their children’s opportunities.
“A Home, But at What Cost?” was designed to complement traditional housing measures by examining how people experience their housing situations and the sacrifices they make to remain in them.
The research was conducted between April 10 and June 30, 2026, through nationally representative surveys in 22 countries, with 30,758 people participating.