Grant supports study on housing assistance programs for pet owners

A new grant to assess the effectiveness of housing rental deposit programs for low-income tenants with pets was recently awarded to the Institute for Human-Animal Connection at the University of Denver in Colorado. Announced by the Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI), the grant will support a study led by Kevin Morris, PhD, research professor at the Graduate School of Social Work and executive director, Institute for Human-Animal Connection, which will examine these programs as an intervention for increasing housing security.¹

“Studies have found that pet relinquishments due to loss of housing have been on the rise, putting tenants in the devastating position of having to choose between their pet and a roof over their head,” Lauren Loney, JD, MS, the study’s co-investigator and public policy and evaluation consultant for the University of Denver Institute for Human-Animal Connection in Colorado, said in a news release.¹ “While government and nonprofit entities have been utilizing pet deposit assistance programs as a relinquishment intervention tool for some time, our study will be the first to assess how these programs impact tenants and pets over time and identify their cost-benefit compared to traditional relinquishment and rehoming pathways.”

Housing insecurity for pet owners accounts for approximately 7% to 33% of companion animal surrenders, according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC). Furthermore, areas with high poverty rates are often “resources deserts” for animal health and care services, which includes “scarce or nonexistent” veterinary care. “Restrictive policies create barriers to housing harming both people and their pets, as companion animals provide essential social and emotional benefits to their owners,” the coalition wrote on its website.²

The study at the University of Denver will analyze the results of 2 surveys taken 1 year apart by tenants who have received pet deposit assistance, according to HABRI. Investigators are aiming to better understand the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of pet deposit assistance programs—in areas with and without laws regulating pet deposits—for preventing housing insecurity for tenants with pets and the pet relinquishment that causes.¹

Additionally, investigators will compare pet deposit assistance cost to cost-of-care data from animal shelters and rescues in an effort to determine the extent that pet deposit assistance is successful as a cost-effective alternative to relinquishing and rehoming pets. The research team will then assess the relationship between state and local regulations for general security deposits and pet deposits, as well as overall changes in tenants’ perceived housing insecurity, prevention of pet relinquishment, and perceived ability to keep their pet over the study period, according to HABRI.¹

“The difficulty in finding pet-inclusive rental housing is a significant barrier for many pet owners,” Steve Feldman, president, HABRI, said in the release.¹ “HABRI is proud to support this first-of-its-kind research, which will add necessary and important data to the push for more policies and programs that keep pets in loving homes.”

According to the NLIHC, expanding access to rental housing for tenants with pets benefits both humans and their animals, while also alleviating pressure on the animal shelter system. The coalition estimates 8.2 million more animals could be housed with renters and relinquishment of 10.5 million pets could be prevented if restrictive policies in the housing market were lifted for pet owners.²

References

1. New research to assess effectiveness of pet rental deposit assistance program. News release. Human Animal Bond Research Institute. November 17, 2025. Accessed November 18, 2025. https://habri.org/pressroom/20251117
2. Opportunity Starts at Home campaign releases new fact sheet on companion animal welfare and pet-inclusive affordable housing. News release. National Low Income Housing Coalition. March 17, 2025. Accessed November 18, 2025. https://nlihc.org/resource/opportunity-starts-home-campaign-releases-new-fact-sheet-companion-animal-welfare-and-pet