Home After Loss: Housing Relocation and Affordability Stress Following Spousal Loss

ABSTRACT Spousal loss is a major life transition that may reshape one's socioeconomic and psychological conditions, yet little is known about how housing trajectories change before and after spousal loss. This study examines how spousal loss affects housing relocation and housing affordability stress over time, and whether these trajectories differ between owner‐occupiers and renters. The study used individual‐level longitudinal data from the Korea Welfare Panel Study (KoWePS) to examine within‐individual trajectories of housing relocation and housing affordability stress before and after spousal loss. A fixed‐effects regression model analyzed housing relocation and affordability stress, defined as housing‐related costs exceeding 30% of household income before and after spousal loss. Interaction terms between spousal loss timing and housing tenure assessed differences between owner‐occupiers and renters. Housing relocation probability significantly increased at the time of spousal loss and in the following year. Housing affordability stress rose 2 years before spousal loss and remained elevated for at least 3 years afterward. Owner‐occupiers were less likely to relocate during spousal loss and in the first year following it compared to renters. Additionally, owner‐occupiers experienced less housing affordability stress at spousal loss and for up to 3 years after compared to renters. Spousal loss significantly affects housing outcomes, with increased likelihood of relocation and prolonged housing affordability stress. Owner‐occupiers appear to be better protected against these negative effects compared to renters, suggesting that housing tenure plays a crucial role in mitigating the housing‐related challenges associated with spousal loss.