by Laura Onyeneho
(Houston Defender)—When the weight of money stress starts costing you sleep, emotional stability and even your relationships, it’s more than a financial issue; it’s a public health crisis.
According to a recent study by AffordableHousingHub.org, nearly 53 percent of Americans report losing sleep due to financial stress, with over one-third saying it’s affected their emotional well-being.
The study surveyed 1,000 U.S. adults to better understand how inflation, housing instability and news reports impact mental health and daily life. The effects are even more pronounced for Gen Z, Millennials and renters, groups that disproportionately include Black Americans.
Behavioral financial advisor Jenny Jean-Baptist understands this personally. As a first-generation Haitian-American and the eldest daughter of immigrants, she’s lived through the economic chaos and emotional exhaustion so many face today.
Working three jobs through college, she describes her early relationship with money as endless chasing and constant stress.
“It felt like money was always running away from me,” she said. “While still maintaining my sanity for school, I definitely lost sleep.”
That experience lit a fire that now fuels her mission to help marginalized communities, especially children of immigrants and eldest daughters, take control of their finances through behavioral changes.
“We talk a lot about getting out of paycheck-to-paycheck living,” Jean-Baptist says, “But we really need to talk about how survival mode floods your body with fight-or-flight responses. You can’t sleep. You can’t focus.”
The study found 46 percent of Americans have had to rely on credit cards for essentials like food and gas and 13 percent say they can’t afford to prioritize their mental health at all.
Jean-Baptist says the solution isn’t only about cutting expenses, it’s about reconnecting with your personal definition of a “rich life,” and letting that guide your financial decisions.
“People need to stop chasing someone else’s version of success. Many are financing those lifestyles we see online,” she says. “We’re following values passed down by parents, culture and media, without asking, Is this even what I want? Is this keeping me broke?”
Anita Bell, administrative assistant at the Acres Home Advocacy Group, says financial strain in Houston’s Black communities is often about impossible choices. She’s seen it firsthand through her work supporting families in underserved neighborhoods.
“People are choosing between paying their electric bill and feeding their children,” she said. “That kind of stress keeps people up at night, not knowing what tomorrow will bring.”
Bell describes how her organization stepped up during emergencies, like providing portable air conditioners for seniors during record-breaking Houston heat, when some were too poor to run their own.
She’s often seen as the “go-to” for local residents in crisis, but says community support should not fall on one person.
“We need more people connected to the community,” Bell said. “If more folks knew where to go, fewer people would feel hopeless.”
Bell emphasizes that financial freedom for many Black Houstonians isn’t about luxury but basic dignity, such as safe housing, livable wages, working vehicles and stability.
“No one should have to say, ‘One day I’ll be able to afford the basics.’ That day should already be here.”
Rachel Jones, an educator, says financial stress used to come from a lack of knowledge. She grew up in an era where money management wasn’t taught, and like many, fell into the trap of credit cards mailed out to 18-year-olds.
“We didn’t know what we were doing,” she admits. “But we teach our kids differently now. If you can live within your means and avoid debt, you can live well.”
Jones says she now practices strong financial boundaries, especially when it comes to family. Despite the cultural expectation to support loved ones financially, a dynamic often called the “Black tax,” she’s learned to say no.
“I don’t let emotional pressure derail my goals, she said. “Your presence can be the gift. You don’t have to pay for everyone else’s journey.”
She also notes that building a business taught her how complicated financial freedom can be. Even when spending wisely, she and her family found themselves taxed for not participating in traditional consumer habits like buying new cars or homes.
“Being debt-free is freedom to me,” she says. “If I owe no one, I can live on $20,000 a year and sleep well.”
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