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THRIVE FROM THE START

Every infant and toddler deserves a safe, stable, and nurturing start in life. That’s why Housing Is has joined forces with  Prevent Child Abuse America, SchoolHouse Connection, and ZERO TO THREE to launch Thrive From The Start—a cross-sector effort dedicated to addressing homelessness among infants, toddlers, and expectant parents. Visit thrivefromthestart.org to learn more and explore how you can be a part of the solution. 

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Housing Is Working Group 2024-2025 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 child welfare and housing, leveraging Medicaid resources for housing services, out-of-school time, and digital connectivity in a post-ACP world. 

View Calendar
 
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Report
Community:
Mar 14, 2018
There were 33,889 homeless schoolchildren in Florida during the 2007–08 school year, including children temporarily doubled up with others and children staying in hotels, motels, shelters, transitional housing, and unsheltered locations. By the 2015–16 school year, that number had risen to 72,601. This report suggests that the rise is because of the recession and foreclosure crisis, the state’s increasing shortage of affordable housing, and school districts training teachers, counselors, and other staff to identify students with no permanent housing.

Authored by: The Shimberg Center for Housing Studies and Miami Homes for All
Topics: Data sharing, Education, Homelessness, Housing, Low-income, Research, South, Stability, Youth
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Nov 21, 2018

How Does Homelessness Affect Educational Outcomes of Children in Florida?

Report
Mar 14, 2018
The Shimberg Center for Housing Studies and Miami Homes for All
There were 33,889 homeless schoolchildren in Florida during the 2007–08 school year, including children temporarily doubled up with others and children staying in hotels, motels, shelters, transitional housing, and unsheltered locations. By the 2015–16 school year, that number had risen to 72,601.
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Research
Community:
May 16, 2018
Treating opioid use disorder among homeless families can reduce hepatitis C transmission, infant drug withdrawal, and overdose, which is the leading cause of death among people experiencing homelessness. Although office-based treatment is effective for homeless patients, homelessness (especially among families) creates barriers to office-based opioid treatment, such as stigma, child care needs, or distance from an office site. To reduce barriers to treatment, the Family Team at the Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program added a shelter-based opioid treatment program to its outreach clinic at a family homeless shelter and motel. The Family Team consists of a physician, a nurse, two case managers, and a behavioral health clinician.

Authored by: American Public Health Association
Topics: Health, Homelessness, Housing, Place-based, Preventative care, Safety, Stability, Substance abuse
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Nov 21, 2018
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Report
Community:
Oct 3, 2018
More than a third of homeless people are part of a family, most of which are headed by women with at least one child. Homeless families are different from single homeless people, and their needs differ. But limited research focuses on these families. This study aims to fill the gap by exploring longitudinal health service use and expenditures for homeless family members before and after entering an emergency shelter.

Authored by: Robin Clark, Linda Weinreb, Julie Flahive, and Robert Seifert for the American Journal of Public Health
Topics: Family engagement, Health, Homelessness, Housing, Low-income, Preventative care, Research, Stability
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Nov 21, 2018

Early Detection and Intervention Could Improve Health Outcomes for Homeless Families

Report
Oct 3, 2018
Robin Clark, Linda Weinreb, Julie Flahive, and Robert Seifert for the American Journal of Public Health
More than a third of homeless people are part of a family, most of which are headed by women with at least one child. Homeless families are different from single homeless people, and their needs differ. But limited research focuses on these families.
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Publication
Community:
Nov 20, 2018
People with mental health disabilities are vastly overrepresented in the population of people who experience homelessness. Of the more than 550,000 people in America who experienced homelessness on a given night in 2017, 1 in 5 had a mental illness. The proportion of people experiencing chronic homelessness with mental health disabilities was even higher—nearly 1 in 3. Despite this fact, the reality is that most people with mental illness fortunately do not experience homelessness: While about 20 percent of all adults in the United States have a mental illness, less than two-tenths of 1 percent of people in the country experienced homelessness on a given night in 2017.

Authored by: Heidi Schultheis for Center for American Progress
Topics: Depression, Disabilities, Homelessness, Housing, Legislation & Policy, Low-income, Mental health, Partnerships, Preventative care, Stability, Substance abuse, Supportive housing
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Nov 20, 2018

Lack of Housing and Mental Health Disabilities Exacerbate One Another

Publication
Nov 20, 2018
Heidi Schultheis for Center for American Progress
People with mental health disabilities are vastly overrepresented in the population of people who experience homelessness. Of the more than 550,000 people in America who experienced homelessness on a given night in 2017, 1 in 5 had a mental illness.
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Report
Community:
May 1, 2018
The Enhanced Transitional Jobs Demonstration (ETJD), funded by the Employment and Training Administration of the U.S. Department of Labor, tested seven transitional jobs programs that targeted people recently released from prison or low-income parents who had fallen behind in child support payments.

Authored by: MDRC, OPRE, and Employment and Training Demonstration
Topics: Asset building, Cost effectiveness, Criminal justice, Legislation & Policy, Low-income, Research, Stability, Workforce development, Youth
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Nov 19, 2018
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Interactive
Community:
Nov 14, 2018
After decades of sprawl and suburban dominance, U.S. cities are experiencing rebounding populations, growing employment, and new public and private sector investments in places that are walkable, transit-oriented, and support diverse people and amenities. But we know that the benefits of these trends are not equally distributed, presenting an urgent opportunity for local and regional leaders to advance place-led development that produces better economic outcomes for more people in more places. To help deliver on that imperative, the Metropolitan Policy Program at Brookings launched the Anne T. and Robert M. Bass Center for Transformative Placemaking (“Bass Center”) with an event on Wednesday, November 14. In collaboration with Project for Public Spaces (PPS) and the National Main Street Center (NMSC), the Bass Center will inspire public, private, and civic sector leaders to make transformative place investments that generate widespread social and economic benefits. Brookings President John Allen, Bass Center Director and Senior Fellow Jennifer Vey, special guest speaker Carol Coletta, and a distinguished panel of experts discussed how market and demographic trends are driving new demands for placemaking that benefit more people and places.

Authored by: The Brookings Institution
Topics: Community development, Housing, Partnerships, Place-based, Safety, Stability
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Nov 19, 2018
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Research
Community:
Nov 1, 2018
Are families prioritizing their housing payments by jeopardizing their health and well-being, missing utility payments, skipping meals, or failing to keep up with medical needs or medical bills? And are renters less able than homeowners to weather a financial emergency, such as an unexpected medical expense? Our research suggests this may be the case.

Authored by: Corianne Scally and Dulce Gonzalez for The Urban Institute
Topics: Asset building, Child welfare, Food insecurity, Health, Homelessness, Housing, Low-income, Research, Stability
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Nov 7, 2018
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Research
Community:
Oct 26, 2018
Researchers often have valuable insights for program leaders and policymakers. However, their research is typically presented in formats and contexts that don’t speak directly to those who can make the best use of it. With these short videos (about 3 minutes long each), we seek to bring relevant, timely research to everyone interested in reducing poverty and increasing family stability in the United States. Each video offers a few critical messages. Our hope is that these videos, and this viewer’s guide, provoke your thinking, expand your dialogue, and give you ideas for how to strategically advance your work.

Authored by: Scott W. Allard, Greg Fabiano, Colleen Heflin, Jodi Sandfort, and Valerie Uccellani for Mathematica
Topics: Family engagement, Low-income, Research, Stability
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Nov 6, 2018

Researchers Speak: Insights about Family Stability and Self-Sufficiency, A Viewer's Guide

Research
Oct 26, 2018
Scott W. Allard, Greg Fabiano, Colleen Heflin, Jodi Sandfort, and Valerie Uccellani for Mathematica
Researchers often have valuable insights for program leaders and policymakers. However, their research is typically presented in formats and contexts that don’t speak directly to those who can make the best use of it.
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Research
Community:
Oct 25, 2018
Many low-income families in the United States face challenges associated with unemployment, health, and education disparities. To help overcome these challenges, several federal programs aim to assist these families with employment, self-sufficiency, healthy relationships, and individual well-being. Understanding the effects of these programs, including whether they meet the needs of those they intend to serve, requires a strong partner. Mathematica’s team of seasoned experts has worked closely with the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE) to uncover the insights practitioners and policymakers need to make informed decisions.

Authored by: Mathematica
Topics: Asset building, Child welfare, Dual-generation, Family engagement, Low-income, Research, Stability
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Nov 6, 2018
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Research
Community:
Oct 16, 2018
The evidence on how homelessness affects children suggests policymakers should be doing everything possible to prevent homelessness and, when families who do lose their housing, to help them exit homelessness and stabilize in housing quickly. Rapid re-housing (RRH) can help homeless families in crisis.

Authored by: Mary K. Cunningham for The Urban Institute
Topics: Child welfare, Health, Homelessness, Housing, Legislation & Policy, Low-income, Research, Stability
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Nov 5, 2018
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Research
Community:
Nov 5, 2018
Using multiple panels from the US Census Bureau’s Survey of Income and Program Participation, we find that participation in Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), or public health insurance reduces the number of hardships low-income families with children experience by 48 percent and reduces the share who experience food insufficiency by 72 percent.

Authored by: Signe-Mary McKernan and Caroline Ratcliffe for The Urban Institute
Topics: Child welfare, Cost effectiveness, Food insecurity, Legislation & Policy, Low-income, Medicaid / Medicare, Metrics, Research, Stability
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Nov 5, 2018

New evidence shows the safety net reduces Americans' material hardship by 48 percent

Research
Nov 5, 2018
Signe-Mary McKernan and Caroline Ratcliffe for The Urban Institute
Using multiple panels from the US Census Bureau’s Survey of Income and Program Participation, we find that participation in Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), or public health insurance reduces the number of hardships low-income families w
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News Article
Community:
Oct 23, 2018
In January, mothers with substance-abuse disorders will have a long-term resource to help break the cycle of their addiction. That’s when Tucson Medical Center and CODAC Health, Recovery and Wellness, in partnership with the Connie Hillman Family Foundation, open their new transitional housing program in midtown Tucson for mothers who are battling drug or alcohol addiction.

Authored by: Mikayla Mace for Arizona Daily Star
Topics: Homelessness, Housing, Low-income, Partnerships, Safety, Stability, Substance abuse
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Oct 25, 2018
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Research
Community:
Oct 25, 2018
In contrast to the portrayal of homelessness as affecting people with behavioral health problems or low employment capacity, cycles of homelessness could reflect job shifts that bring a household in or out of poverty. To assess the connections between employment and homelessness, researchers focused on three topics: (1) employment and earnings before, during, and after adults used a homeless shelter; (2) changes in employment and earnings in connection to shelter entry and exit; and (3) employment and earnings differences between adults who are homeless as part of a family versus as individuals.

Authored by: Stephen Metraux, Jamison Fargo, Nicholas Eng, and Dennis Culhane for Cityscape
Topics: Asset building, Homelessness, Housing, Low-income, Research, Stability, Workforce development
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Oct 25, 2018

Employment and Earnings Trajectories During Two Decades Among Adults in New York City Homeless Shelters

Research
Oct 25, 2018
Stephen Metraux, Jamison Fargo, Nicholas Eng, and Dennis Culhane for Cityscape
In contrast to the portrayal of homelessness as affecting people with behavioral health problems or low employment capacity, cycles of homelessness could reflect job shifts that bring a household in or out of poverty.
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Report
Community:
Oct 24, 2018
CLPHA’s Housing Is Initiative is engaged in a number of cross-sector activities focused on developing partnerships, facilitating a community of practice, resource development, promoting best practices, online collaboration, policy and advocacy, and training and education. Read about recent activities in this Fall Update.

Authored by:
Topics: Child welfare, CLPHA, Community development, Cost effectiveness, Data sharing, Early childhood, Education, Family engagement, Funding, Health, Homelessness, Housing, Low-income, Medicaid / Medicare, Mental health, Partnerships, Place-based, Post-secondary, Research, Stability, Substance abuse, Workforce development, Youth
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Oct 24, 2018

Housing Is Fall 2018 Update

Report
Oct 24, 2018
CLPHA’s Housing Is Initiative is engaged in a number of cross-sector activities focused on developing partnerships, facilitating a community of practice, resource development, promoting best practices, online collaboration, policy and advocacy, and training and education.
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News Article
Community:
Oct 16, 2018
Some community colleges have found innovative partnerships with their public housing authorities may help combat student homelessness.

Authored by: Ashley A. Smith for Inside Higher Ed
Topics: Asset building, CLPHA, Education, Homelessness, Housing, Low-income, Midwest, Pacific Northwest, Partnerships, Post-secondary, Stability, Workforce development
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Oct 24, 2018
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Interactive
Community:
Which neighborhoods in America offer children the best chance to rise out of poverty? The Opportunity Atlas answers this question using anonymous data following 20 million Americans from childhood to their mid-30s. Now you can trace the roots of today's affluence and poverty back to the neighborhoods where people grew up. See where and for whom opportunity has been missing, and develop local solutions to help more children rise out of poverty.

Authored by: Census Bureau, Harvard University, and Brown University
Topics: Asset building, Child welfare, Dual-generation, Early childhood, Education, Health, Housing, Low-income, Mobility, Stability, Youth
Shared by Housing Is on Oct 12, 2018

The Opportunity Atlas

Interactive
Census Bureau, Harvard University, and Brown University
Which neighborhoods in America offer children the best chance to rise out of poverty? The Opportunity Atlas answers this question using anonymous data following 20 million Americans from childhood to their mid-30s.
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Report
Community:
Jul 26, 2018
Neighborhoods where insecure housing overlaps with higher rates of emergency department use may be promising areas for interventions under Medicaid value-based payment

Authored by: United Hospital Fund
Topics: East Coast, Health, Housing, Low-income, Medicaid / Medicare, Partnerships, Stability
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Oct 10, 2018

New Report Identifies NYC Neighborhoods Where Medicaid Might Better Support Members’ Health by Addressing Housing Insecurity

Report
Jul 26, 2018
United Hospital Fund
Neighborhoods where insecure housing overlaps with higher rates of emergency department use may be promising areas for interventions under Medicaid value-based payment
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Interactive
Community:
Aug 20, 2018
Enhance your knowledge around family homelessness and the McKinney-Vento Homelessness Assistance Act's definition of "homeless" as it refers to children and youth. Review other relevant federal regulations for Head Start, Early Head Start, and Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF)-subsidized programs. This interactive learning series is intended for professionals in Head Start, Early Head Start, and child care, including early childhood and school-age child care providers, CCDF Lead Agency or designated entity staff, and other key stakeholders. Learn how to identify families experiencing homelessness, conduct community outreach, and much more.

Authored by: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families
Topics: Child welfare, Early childhood, Education, Family engagement, Grade-level proficiency, Homelessness, Housing, Low-income, Stability
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Oct 10, 2018
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Research
Community:
Oct 1, 2018
Although the rental assistance programs varied, key themes emerged, including (1) most programs, recognizing the impact of housing stability on health outcomes, targeted populations served by state or local health and human services programs; (2) most programs served a growing number of households over time; (3) funding generally increased over time and most of it came from general revenue; and (4) programs involved collaboration between the housing and health and human services agencies to ensure clients’ needs were comprehensively met.

Authored by: Anna Bailey, Peggy Bailey, and Douglas Rice for the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
Topics: Funding, Health, Housing, Legislation & Policy, Low-income, Partnerships, Place-based, Research, Stability
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Oct 9, 2018

Innovative Approaches to Providing Rental Assistance: States and Localities Seek to Support Health and Human Services Goals

Research
Oct 1, 2018
Anna Bailey, Peggy Bailey, and Douglas Rice for the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
Although the rental assistance programs varied, key themes emerged, including (1) most programs, recognizing the impact of housing stability on health outcomes, targeted populations served by state or local health and human services programs; (2) most programs served a growing number of households o
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News Article
Community: Postsecondary
Oct 2, 2018
An organization is using the influence that teenagers have on their contemporaries to help more students from low-income families gain college admission and student aid.

Authored by: David Bornstein for The New York Times
Topics: Education, Low-income, Mental health, Post-secondary, Stability, Youth
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Oct 9, 2018
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News Article
Community:
Sep 27, 2018
Nationally, resources for providing families with housing assistance are inadequate. DC is piloting a new approach, the DC Flexible Rent Subsidy Program (DC Flex), to test whether shallow (smaller than the average subsidy, over a defined period) and flexible subsidies can help more families maintain affordable, adequate housing.

Authored by: Mychal Cohen and Josh Leopold for Urban Institute
Topics: Cost effectiveness, East Coast, Housing, Low-income, Research, Stability
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Oct 4, 2018
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Research
Community:
Sep 19, 2018
About 20 percent of adults in sheltered homeless families have a disability, compared with 9 percent of all US adults, yet few studies have addressed the intersection of disability and housing instability. A recent study explored the relationship between disabilities and Supplemental Security Income (SSI)/Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) income that homeless families reported when they entered emergency shelters, as well as later outcomes, such as housing stability, self-sufficiency, and food insecurity. It also examined how housing interventions affect SSI/SSDI income receipt.

Authored by: Urban Institute
Topics: Disabilities, Homelessness, Housing, Low-income, Research, Stability
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Sep 20, 2018
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Interactive
Community:
Sep 18, 2018
HOW IT WORKS Ivory Innovations, a new initiative of the Sorenson Impact Center at the University of Utah, is working with an advisory board and partners that represent many of our nation’s top leaders in housing to find nominees for this new award. The emphasis for the prize will be on projects that provide a pathway to homeownership; however, those that address reducing rents will also be considered. WHO IS ELIGIBLE? Private-sector organizations, non-profit organizations, and public-private partnerships. Organizations or individuals are eligible.

Authored by:
Topics: Funding, Housing, Stability
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Sep 18, 2018

Ivory Prize One Pager

Funding opportunity 

Interactive
Sep 18, 2018
HOW IT WORKS Ivory Innovations, a new initiative of the Sorenson Impact Center at the University of Utah, is working with an advisory board and partners that represent many of our nation’s top leaders in housing to find nominees for this new award.
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Interactive
Community:
Sep 18, 2018
The Ivory Prize for Housing Affordability seeks to tap the best and brightest ideas to focus on the complex challenge of housing affordability. The Prize will be designed to advance projects and reward innovators for their efforts to impact adoptable solutions to tackle housing affordability.

Authored by:
Topics: Funding, Housing, Stability
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Sep 18, 2018
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Report
Community:
Jan 1, 2015
Trauma-Informed Care (TIC) is a holistic approach to providing services, distinct from a clinical treatment model. It has its roots in the Vietnam era, and evolved through the turn of the century, with a particular focus on female survivors of physical and sexual violence.

Authored by: McSilver Institute for Poverty Policy and Research
Topics: Health, Mental health, Partnerships, Stability
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Sep 18, 2018

Harnessing the Learning Community Model to Integrate Trauma-Informed Care Principles in Service Organizations

Report
Jan 1, 2015
McSilver Institute for Poverty Policy and Research
Trauma-Informed Care (TIC) is a holistic approach to providing services, distinct from a clinical treatment model. It has its roots in the Vietnam era, and evolved through the turn of the century, with a particular focus on female survivors of physical and sexual violence.