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Heflin featured in The Well article on material hardship, COVID-19

April 28, 2021

The Well News

Colleen Heflin

Colleen Heflin


A recent Urban Institute survey found that compared with adults whose family employment was unaffected by the pandemic, families who lost jobs during the pandemic were twice as likely to report food insecurity, and nearly three times as likely to report problems paying utility bills, and nearly four times as likely to report problems paying rent or mortgage. "There’s a sense in our affluent world that we don’t need to be so careful at measuring material hardship, but the COVID-19 crisis taught us it’s more prevalent than we thought," says Colleen Heflin, professor of public administration and international affairs. "Material hardship should measure an ability to cover basic needs," she says. Heflin was featured in The Well article, "Material Hardship Can Cause Adverse Health Outcomes in Young Adults."


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