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Housing Is Working Group 2023-2024 Calendar

Join the Housing Is Working Group to discuss special topics related to cross-sector initiatives and programmatic considerations particularly focused on the intersections of housing, health, and education.

This year’s public webinars cover topics such as the mobility asthma project, trauma-informed approaches to housing, resident-focused racial equity work, out-of-school time, and how FCC grantees are supprting voucher holders.

View Calendar
 

Elements of a Successful Partnership

With generous support from the MacArthur Foundation, CLPHA developed an in-depth report on regional housing-education collaborations taking place at housing authorities across the Pacific-Northwest.

Read the Multimedia Report
 
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Report
Community:
Healthy Housing for All: How Affordable Housing is Leading the Way explores the affordable housing industry’s achievements in creating healthier housing environments and translates them into lessons for the broader housing marketplace. The innovations in healthy affordable housing present an opportunity to replicate healthy housing successes, as well as to respond to market demand across the residential development industry.

Authored by: Urban Land Institute
Topics: Health, Housing, Legislation & Policy, Research
Shared by Housing Is on Mar 11, 2019
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Research
Community:
Mar 8, 2019
The number of kids enrolled in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) — two government health plans for the poor — fell by nearly 600,000 in the first 11 months of 2018, a precipitous drop that has puzzled and alarmed many health policy analysts, while several states say it reflects the good news of an improving economy.

Authored by: Michael Ollove for The Pew Charitable Trusts
Topics: Affordable Care Act, Child welfare, Early childhood, Health, Legislation & Policy, Low-income, Medicaid / Medicare, Research, Youth
Shared by Housing Is on Mar 8, 2019

Child Enrollment in Public Health Programs Fell by 600K Last Year

Research
Mar 8, 2019
Michael Ollove for The Pew Charitable Trusts
The number of kids enrolled in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) — two government health plans for the poor — fell by nearly 600,000 in the first 11 months of 2018, a precipitous drop that has puzzled and alarmed many health policy analysts, while several states say it refl
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Podcast
Community:
One out of every 10 young people between the ages of 16 and 24 is neither working nor in school. These “disconnected” young people face an uphill battle finding work and are at risk of economic hardship well into adulthood. Although there are many programs that aim to reconnect young people to education and employment, findings from evaluations of these programs have been mixed. The evidence base has grown substantially in the past several months, though, as studies of three pro­grams — YouthBuild, Year Up, and New York City’s Young Adult Internship Program (YAIP) — have released new findings. MDRC’s Dan Bloom and Cynthia Miller recently wrote a brief that discusses findings from the new studies and their implications for youth programs.

Authored by: MDRC
Topics: Asset building, Low-income, Mobility, Research, Workforce development, Youth
Shared by Housing Is on Mar 8, 2019
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Research
Community:
Nov 22, 2018
Improved access to health insurance contributed to reducing worry and stress associated with paying rent/mortgage or purchasing meals among low-income people. Expanding health insurance access may have contributed to increasing the disposable income of low income groups.

Authored by: Shiho Kino, Koryu Sato, and Iciro Kawachi for International Journal for Equity in Health
Topics: Affordable Care Act, Health, Housing, Low-income, Medicaid / Medicare, Mental health, Research, Stability
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Mar 7, 2019

Spillover benefit of improved access to healthcare on reducing worry about housing and meal affordability

Research
Nov 22, 2018
Shiho Kino, Koryu Sato, and Iciro Kawachi for International Journal for Equity in Health
Improved access to health insurance contributed to reducing worry and stress associated with paying rent/mortgage or purchasing meals among low-income people. Expanding health insurance access may have contributed to increasing the disposable income of low income groups.
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News Article
Community:
Mar 5, 2019
Disasters are becoming more common in America. In the early and mid-20th century, fewer than 20 percent of U.S. counties experienced a disaster each year. Today, it's about 50 percent. According to the 2018 National Climate Assessment, climate change is already driving more severe droughts, floods and wildfires in the U.S. And those disasters are expensive. The federal government spends billions of dollars annually helping communities rebuild and prevent future damage. But an NPR investigation has found that across the country, white Americans and those with more wealth often receive more federal dollars after a disaster than do minorities and those with less wealth. Federal aid isn't necessarily allocated to those who need it most; it's allocated according to cost-benefit calculations meant to minimize taxpayer risk.

Authored by: Rebecca Hersher and Robert Benincasa for NPR
Topics: Community development, Funding, Housing, Legislation & Policy, Low-income, Racial inequalities, Research, Stability
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Mar 7, 2019
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Publication
Community:
The California Homeless Youth Project (HYP) is a research and policy initiative that highlights the issues and challenges faced by unaccompanied young people who are homeless or lack stable housing. This website provides state and local policymakers and others with information and policy resources specific to unaccompanied homeless youth, with a focus on young people in California.

Authored by: CA.gov
Topics: Education, Homelessness, Housing, Legislation & Policy, Research, West Coast
Shared by Housing Is on Mar 5, 2019
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Interactive
Community:
Federal tax credits, like the EITC and refundable CTC, provide critical supports for millions of working women, children, and families every year. They supplement low wages and can help soften the financial impact of fluctuating incomes or job losses. These credits are especially important for communities of color and women.

Authored by: Food Research & Action Center (FRAC)
Topics: Child welfare, Legislation & Policy, Low-income, Research
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Mar 1, 2019

Refundable Tax Credits Are Critical to Reducing Poverty and Hunger For Women, Children, and Families and Should be Expanded

Interactive
Food Research & Action Center (FRAC)
Federal tax credits, like the EITC and refundable CTC, provide critical supports for millions of working women, children, and families every year. They supplement low wages and can help soften the financial impact of fluctuating incomes or job losses.
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Publication
Community:
Feb 28, 2019
In light of the many costs generated by child poverty for the United States, a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine provides evidence-based policy and program packages that could cut the child poverty rate by as much as 50 percent while at the same time increasing employment and earnings among adults living in low-income families.

Authored by: The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
Topics: Child welfare, Legislation & Policy, Low-income, Research
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Mar 1, 2019

Child Poverty Rate Could Be Cut in Half in Next Decade Following Proposals in New Expert Report

Publication
Feb 28, 2019
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
In light of the many costs generated by child poverty for the United States, a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine provides evidence-based policy and program packages that could cut the child poverty rate by as much as 50 percent while at the same time incre
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Report
Community:
The strengths and abilities children develop from infancy through adolescence are crucial for their physical, emotional, and cognitive growth, which in turn help them to achieve success in school and to become responsible, economically self-sufficient, and healthy adults. Capable, responsible, and healthy adults are clearly the foundation of a well-functioning and prosperous society, yet America’s future is not as secure as it could be because millions of American children live in families with incomes below the poverty line. A wealth of evidence suggests that a lack of adequate economic resources for families with children compromises these children’s ability to grow and achieve adult success, hurting them and the broader society.

Authored by: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
Topics: Child welfare, Dual-generation, Legislation & Policy, Low-income, Research
Shared by Housing Is on Mar 1, 2019
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Report
Community:
The monthly benefits provided by SNAP enhance the food purchasing power of eligible low-income individuals and families. However, as described by many studies, including one by the Institute of Medicine, the greatest shortcoming of SNAP is that benefits for most households are not enough to get through the entire month without hunger or being forced to sacrifice nutrition quality. This limitation persists even in the face of overwhelming evidence on the gains from more adequate monthly SNAP benefits.This paper analyzes why SNAP benefits are inadequate, reviews the body of research showing positive effects from more adequate SNAP benefits, and concludes with some of the key policy solutions that can improve benefit adequacy.

Authored by: Food Research & Action Center (FRAC)
Topics: Food insecurity, Legislation & Policy, Low-income, Nutrition, Research
Shared by Housing Is on Mar 1, 2019
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Report
Community:
Feb 1, 2019
This annual report analyzes participation in the School Breakfast Program among low-income children nationally and in each state and the District of Columbia for the 2017–2018 school year. The report features best practices for increasing participation in the program, including breakfast after the bell models and community eligibility.

Authored by: Food Research & Action Center (FRAC)
Topics: Child welfare, Education, Food insecurity, Metrics, Nutrition, Research
Shared by Housing Is on Mar 1, 2019
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News Article
Community:
Feb 23, 2019
Gerrymandered school boundaries and greater transportation costs are the trade-off school districts must make in order to achieve racial integration and close the racial achievement gap, said a researcher from the Urban Institute.

Authored by: Roger McKinney for Columbia Daily Tribune
Topics: Child welfare, Education, Legislation & Policy, Racial inequalities, Research, Transportation
Shared by Housing Is on Feb 28, 2019
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Research
Community:
Nov 1, 2018
In this study, researchers conduct a literature review across public health, environmental health, medical, sociology, and urban planning journals to synthesize the research on the mental health effects of rat infestations on residents living in urban neighborhoods.

Authored by: Kaylee Byers, Chelsea G. Himsworth, and Raymond Lam for The Journal of Environmental Health
Topics: Health, Housing, Low-income, Mental health, Research, Safety
Shared by Housing Is on Feb 28, 2019

The Mental Health Consequences of Rat Exposure

Research
Nov 1, 2018
Kaylee Byers, Chelsea G. Himsworth, and Raymond Lam for The Journal of Environmental Health
In this study, researchers conduct a literature review across public health, environmental health, medical, sociology, and urban planning journals to synthesize the research on the mental health effects of rat infestations on residents living in urban neighborhoods.
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Publication
Community:
Feb 27, 2019
Over the past two decades, criminal justice reform has focused on evidence-based interventions to prevent arrests and incarceration and to facilitate community reintegration. These initiatives represent a movement toward a less punitive, more holistic approach to public safety, targeting critical social factors that lead to and perpetuate criminal justice involvement. Because housing problems are often a key underlying factor for people’s involvement with the criminal justice system, there are ways housing interventions can help lessen criminal justice involvement. Decriminalizing homelessness, for example, can reduce rates of initial arrest and incarceration, especially for people with low-level, nonviolent offenses. A sufficient supply of affordable housing and supportive services could help people stabilize after their release from jail and reduce the likelihood of recidivism. Policymakers, advocates, and practitioners in housing and criminal justice systems can partner to promote and evaluate housing strategies that divert people from the criminal justice system.

Authored by: Kimberly Burrowes for How Housing Matters (Urban Institute)
Topics: Criminal justice, Homelessness, Housing, Legislation & Policy, Low-income, Research, Stability
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Feb 28, 2019
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Report
Community:
Welcome to the Food Research & Action Center’s winter issue of ResearchWire. This quarterly newsletter focuses on the latest research, reports, and resources from government agencies, academic researchers, think tanks, and elsewhere at the intersection of food insecurity, poverty, the federal nutrition programs, and health.

Authored by: Food Research & Action Center (FRAC)
Topics: Child welfare, Food insecurity, Funding, Health, Legislation & Policy, Low-income, Nutrition, Research, Youth
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Feb 28, 2019
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Research
Community:
Feb 21, 2019
In many cities, low-income residents live far from available jobs, and employers can’t find people to fill open positions. Economists call this “spatial mismatch”—a mismatch between where jobs are located and where job seekers live, which can cause high unemployment rates and lead to longer spells of joblessness.

Authored by: Urban Institute
Topics: Asset building, Racial inequalities, Research, Transportation, Workforce development
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Feb 28, 2019
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News Article
Community:
Feb 21, 2019
Homelessness among students enrolled in schools from kindergarten through 12th grade has increased 70 percent over the last decade.

Authored by: Lauren Camera for U.S. News and World Report
Topics: Child welfare, Education, Homelessness, Housing, Research, Youth
Shared by Housing Is on Feb 25, 2019
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Publication
Community:
We can imagine a future where everyone can find and afford a quality home. Where every neighborhood offers a diversity of housing options. And where people up and down the income ladder can enjoy housing security and build wealth through ownership. Achieving this vision requires more than incremental tinkering with today’s market institutions and public policies. It requires bold innovation by changemakers at all levels of government and in the private and nonprofit sectors.

Authored by: Urban Institute
Topics: Housing, Legislation & Policy, Mobility, Racial inequalities, Research
Shared by Housing Is on Feb 21, 2019

What would it take to ensure quality affordable housing for all in communities of opportunity?

Publication
Urban Institute
We can imagine a future where everyone can find and afford a quality home. Where every neighborhood offers a diversity of housing options. And where people up and down the income ladder can enjoy housing security and build wealth through ownership.
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Publication
Community:
Jan 31, 2019
For many years, the vulnerabilities of children experiencing homelessness have been glossed over on the assumption that their innate resilience would overcome the impact of homelessness. As someone who worked in the field, I would often hear, “Oh, they’ll never remember.” Today we know better. We know more about how the brain develops and about how trauma impacts brain development. There is a growing recognition among providers that these early years are critical for establishing a foundation for emotional, mental, and physical wellbeing, and that we don’t get a second chance at early childhood.

Authored by: Carol Klocek for SchoolHouse Connection
Topics: Early childhood, Education, Homelessness, Housing, Low-income, Research, Safety, Stability
Shared by Housing Is on Feb 21, 2019

Real Families, Real Solutions: How Homeless Service Providers Can Meet the Needs of Young Children and Their Families

Publication
Jan 31, 2019
Carol Klocek for SchoolHouse Connection
For many years, the vulnerabilities of children experiencing homelessness have been glossed over on the assumption that their innate resilience would overcome the impact of homelessness. As someone who worked in the field, I would often hear, “Oh, they’ll never remember.” Today we know better.
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Research
Community:
Feb 20, 2019
As the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) prioritizes programs to help households receiving rental assistance achieve economic self-sufficiency, researchers, policymakers, and advocates debate the utility of work requirements as an effective pathway toward economic self-sufficiency and the risks of offering rental assistance on a conditional basis. This study contributes additional evidence suggesting that work requirements, when implemented gradually and in context with hardship exemptions and local supports, can boost annual household income, earnings, and the adult-employment ratio* for low-income households with no work history. But work requirements have little effect on those with prior earnings.

Authored by: Han Bum Lee and Paul E. McNamara for Housing Policy Debate (How Housing Matters, Urban Institute)
Topics: Asset building, Housing, Legislation & Policy, Low-income, Research, Workforce development
Shared by Housing Is on Feb 21, 2019

Exploring the Effects of Work Requirements at a Small Illinois Housing Authority

Research
Feb 20, 2019
Han Bum Lee and Paul E. McNamara for Housing Policy Debate (How Housing Matters, Urban Institute)
As the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) prioritizes programs to help households receiving rental assistance achieve economic self-sufficiency, researchers, policymakers, and advocates debate the utility of work requirements as an effective pathway toward economic self-sufficiency
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Infographics
Community:
Recently, several of the BUILD communities approached us with a seemingly straightforward question about how many housing inspectors other cities have to enforce their rental codes and protect residents from unsafe housing. They intended to use this information to better understand the role housing inspectors play within different communities, since they are often a major stakeholder in identifying and addressing building related issues that directly impact the health of residents (e.g., chronic asthma).

Authored by: Emily Yu for The BUILD Health Challenge
Topics: Asthma, Health, Housing, Research, Safety
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Feb 20, 2019
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Research
Community:
What is source of income discrimination, and who are the Rhode Islanders affected by it? The federal Fair Housing Act prohibits housing discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, familial status, sex, and disability. Rhode Island state law goes further, granting residents additional rights. Yet both still allow landlords to reject a prospective tenant based solely on where his or her income comes from, even when the applicant can lawfully pay the requested rent.

Authored by: SouthCoast Fair Housing
Topics: East Coast, Housing, Low-income, Racial inequalities, Research
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Feb 19, 2019
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Video
Community:
Feb 13, 2019
U.S. House Committee on Financial Services, Full Committee

Authored by: U.S. House Committee on Financial Services
Topics: Funding, Homelessness, Housing, Legislation & Policy, Research, Stability
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Feb 19, 2019
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Report
Community:
Feb 1, 2019
In the summer of 2018, Ascend gathered more than two dozen state and national policy experts and other leaders in the fields of health and early learning at its Aspen Meadows Campus in Aspen, Colorado, to discuss the growing opportunity to leverage the 2Gen approach at the state level and determine how best to take promising new innovations to scale. This report offers a snapshot of specific things federal, state, and local leaders can keep doing, start doing, or stop doing to remove barriers and accelerate success.

Authored by: Ascend: The Aspen Institute
Topics: Dual-generation, Early childhood, Family engagement, Legislation & Policy, Research
Shared by Housing Is on Feb 15, 2019

Aligning and Streamlining Systems to Secure Better Outcomes for Families

Report
Feb 1, 2019
Ascend: The Aspen Institute
In the summer of 2018, Ascend gathered more than two dozen state and national policy experts and other leaders in the fields of health and early learning at its Aspen Meadows Campus in Aspen, Colorado, to discuss the growing opportunity to leverage the 2Gen approach at the state level and determine
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Report
Community:
This report marks the thirteenth school year for which the U.S. Department of Education (ED) has collected annual performance data from all states for the Education for Homeless Children and Youth (EHCY) program. The EDFacts Submission System allows for the collection of unduplicated data on students who experienced homelessness and were reported as enrolled in public schools, even if they attend more than one local educational agency (LEA) during the school year. This report draws from that data to provide the only publicly available compilation of unduplicated data for the EHCY program.

Authored by: National Center for Homeless Education (UNC Greensboro)
Topics: Education, Homelessness, Housing, Research, Youth
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Feb 14, 2019