We know a good deal about the effect of life course changes on the probability of migration and mobility and there is some evidence of the link between specific life course events and tenure, but we have only a partial picture of what happens in the housing market when specific “shocks”, both negative and positive, impact families and households. This presentation reviews our broad understanding of “triggering events” in the life course and then examines just what happens when families move under duress (involuntary moves, loss of job, divorce and separation). How are households under stress affected by the need to move and where do they end up in the housing market? The number of involuntary moves is increasing and it is these households which are increasingly vulnerable in their housing outcomes. The presentation evaluates these outcomes for a broad range of unplanned events from divorce and separation to job loss and health incidents. The analysis includes not just the effect on their housing market outcomes but the accompanying changes in work force participation and family structure.