Short- and long-term effects of divorce and separation on housing tenure in England and Wales

Abstract

This paper investigates the effect of divorce and separation on individuals’ housing tenure in England and Wales. We apply competing-risks event history models to data from the British Household Panel Survey and the UKHLS Understanding Society to analyse the risk of a move of single, married, cohabiting, and separated men and women to different tenure types. Separated individuals are more likely to experience a tenure change than those who are single or are in a relationship. They are most likely to move to private renting; however, women are also likely to move to social renting whereas men are likely to move to homeownership. This pattern persists when we account for time since separation and order of moves indicating a potential long-term effect of separation on housing tenure. This long-term effect is especially crucial for separated women who cannot afford homeownership.