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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:
Jun 20, 2017
Over the past year, the United States Conference of Mayors and the Brookings Institution, along with the Project for Public Spaces have worked together to capture a new model of growth that is emerging in cities and the particular roles that mayors can play. This handbook offers concrete strategies for mayors and their administrations to facilitate the rise of innovation districts—small geographic areas within cities where research universities, medical institutions, and companies cluster and connect with start-ups, accelerators, and incubators. They reflect profound market and demographic dynamics that are revaluing proximity, density, walkability, and accessibility—in other words, the natural strengths of cities.

Authored by: Julie Wagner for BROOKINGS
Topics: Community development, Legislation & Policy, Research, Workforce development
Shared by Housing Is on Oct 20, 2020

Advancing a new wave of urban competitiveness: The role of mayors in the rise of innovation districts

Report
Jun 20, 2017
Julie Wagner for BROOKINGS
Over the past year, the United States Conference of Mayors and the Brookings Institution, along with the Project for Public Spaces have worked together to capture a new model of growth that is emerging in cities and the particular roles that mayors can play. This handbook offers concrete strategi
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Report
Community:
Jun 6, 2019
Trends in Housing Assistance and Who it Serves

Authored by: PAHRC
Topics: Community development, Disabilities, Education, Funding, Health, Homelessness, Housing, Legislation & Policy, Low-income, Partnerships, Research, Seniors, Workforce development, Youth
Shared by Keely Stater on Sep 10, 2019
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Report
Community:
Apr 25, 2019
Access to affordable child care can be a major barrier for low-income parents who want to participate in education and training activities to gain skills or obtain employment. Child care assistance from the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF), the federal block grant that funds states to provide child care assistance to low-income families, can help alleviate this barrier and make it easier for low-income parents to participate in activities that improve their skills and lead to stable employment with adequate pay. However, the CCDF eligibility requirements and priorities for service are set at the state level, and states make different decisions about how to allocate scarce CCDF resources, so access to and use of CCDF subsidies for parents seeking education and training varies across states.

Authored by: Semhar Gebrekristos and Gina Adams for The Urban Institute
Topics: Child welfare, Early childhood, Education, Legislation & Policy, Post-secondary, Research, Workforce development
Shared by Housing Is on May 30, 2019
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Report
Community:
May 1, 2019
Child poverty is an urgent and preventable crisis. Solutions to child poverty already exist if we just expand and invest in them. Benefits like nutrition assistance, housing vouchers and tax credits helped lift nearly 7 million children out of poverty in 2017, but millions of children were left behind due to inadequate funding, eligibility restrictions and low wages. We can and must fix these problems to help more children escape poverty now.

Authored by: Children's Defense Fund
Topics: Child welfare, Dual-generation, Early childhood, Food insecurity, Funding, Housing, Legislation & Policy, Low-income, Research, Workforce development
Shared by Housing Is on May 28, 2019
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Report
Community:
Dec 11, 2018
This report highlights the development and implementation of a mentoring program for college students in foster care in New York City through a strategic partnership that was forged among New York City’s Administration for Children’s Services, Goldman Sachs and Casey Family Programs. The program is designed to expose youth to professional and experiential opportunities through a series of one-on-one meetings and group workshops. Students have the opportunity to become familiar with the Goldman Sachs corporate environment, understand various business sectors and explore the roles and responsibilities of different jobs, as well as receive hands-on support with job applications and interviewing.

Authored by: Casey Family Programs
Topics: Child welfare, Foster care, Partnerships, Research, Workforce development, Youth
Shared by Housing Is on May 21, 2019

A public-private mentoring partnership to build a better tomorrow for youth in foster care

Report
Dec 11, 2018
Casey Family Programs
This report highlights the development and implementation of a mentoring program for college students in foster care in New York City through a strategic partnership that was forged among New York City’s Administration for Children’s Services, Goldman Sachs and Casey Family Programs.
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Research
Community:
Mar 28, 2019
Federal safety net programs are intended to protect the most vulnerable Americans—such as the elderly, people with severe disabilities and young children. Housing assistance plays a critical role in the safety net, providing decent, safe, and affordable housing for millions of extremely low-income and vulnerable families—though, because it is not an entitlement like other federal safety net programs, the assistance available falls far short of the need. Housing subsidies free families to spend on other essentials like healthy food, education, and health care.

Authored by: Susan J. Popkin for Journal of Housing & Community Development
Topics: Asset building, Dual-generation, Education, Housing, Mental health, Mobility, Partnerships, Research, Workforce development
Shared by Housing Is on Apr 2, 2019
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Research
Community:
Jan 31, 2019
Because mental health conditions can negatively affect employment, people with these conditions make up a large share of federal disability program participants. Federal agencies have tested supported employment (SE) interventions designed to help those with mental health conditions keep or obtain employment and reduce their dependence on public programs. This brief describes the characteristics of adults with mental health conditions who participate in the federal disability programs and reports evidence from three recent studies of longer-term impacts of SE on the employment of people with mental health conditions. The findings indicate that, although a large share of disability program participants with mental health conditions report that they want to work, many face barriers, including being discouraged by failed past work attempts.

Authored by: Mathematica Policy Research
Topics: Asset building, Disabilities, Mental health, Research, Workforce development
Shared by Housing Is on Mar 18, 2019
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Research
Community:
Jan 25, 2019
The employment social enterprise (ESE) model can provide an opportunity to create a financially viable business that helps individuals with employment barriers become integrated into the labor force. This research studied eight ESEs. Findings suggest that by applying private‐sector business principles to a workforce development programs, social enterprises can provide participants with meaningful and valuable work experience, while offsetting program costs. Analysis identified four promising practices that social entrepreneurs should adopt when setting up a new enterprise. Enterprises should (a) provide soft‐skill training and social services to participants; (b) operate at a size that allows for economies of scale in production and the provision of support services; (c) have few occupational skill requirements; and (d) hire supervisors with both industry knowledge and the capacity to support individuals with employment barriers.

Authored by: Mathematica Policy Research
Topics: Asset building, Low-income, Research, Workforce development
Shared by Housing Is on Mar 18, 2019

Doing Good While Doing Business Using Financial Viability to Enhance Employability for the Disadvantaged

Research
Jan 25, 2019
Mathematica Policy Research
The employment social enterprise (ESE) model can provide an opportunity to create a financially viable business that helps individuals with employment barriers become integrated into the labor force. This research studied eight ESEs.
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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:
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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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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Report
Community:
Jan 16, 2019
This report identifies services that help low-income individuals and households achieve upward economic mobility and explores how affordable housing providers offer them. We begin by presenting key economic mobility concepts and definitions. We then discuss the research evidence on interventions across sectors and disciplines that help individuals and households to achieve upward economic mobility. In the third section of this report, we present our findings from interviews with leading organizations and initiatives in the field. Finally, we discuss challenges for affordable housing providers seeking to help their residents achieve economic mobility and opportunities for future research.

Authored by: Eric Burnstein, Megan Gallagher, and Wilton Oliver for the Urban Institute
Topics: Asset building, Housing, Legislation & Policy, Low-income, Research, Workforce development
Shared by Housing Is on Feb 14, 2019

Economic Mobility Services for Affordable Housing Residents: Exploring Resident Services as a Vehicle for Economic Success

Report
Jan 16, 2019
Eric Burnstein, Megan Gallagher, and Wilton Oliver for the Urban Institute
This report identifies services that help low-income individuals and households achieve upward economic mobility and explores how affordable housing providers offer them. We begin by presenting key economic mobility concepts and definitions.
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Publication
Community:
Dec 17, 2018
In response to the heightened interest in the relationship between work and the health of individuals and communities, CMCS has clarified that Medicaid funds cannot be used to pay beneficiaries’ wages, but can pay for employment counseling as an optional benefit—to help people get jobs. Years of experience with work requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Aid to Families with Dependent Children, and populations with disabilities have developed the evidence for what is needed to help different populations find and keep jobs.

Authored by: Christopher F. Koller for Millbank Memorial Fund
Topics: Affordable Care Act, Disabilities, Health, Legislation & Policy, Low-income, Medicaid / Medicare, Research, Stability, Workforce development
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Dec 17, 2018

To Work and To Love—Health in Theory and Practice

Publication
Dec 17, 2018
Christopher F. Koller for Millbank Memorial Fund
In response to the heightened interest in the relationship between work and the health of individuals and communities, CMCS has clarified that Medicaid funds cannot be used to pay beneficiaries’ wages, but can pay for employment counseling as an optional benefit—to help people get jobs.
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Publication
Community:
Dec 17, 2018
Stricter work requirement policies for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) at the federal level were left out of the recently passed farm bill, but state policymakers are still considering whether to expand or establish their own work requirements for SNAP and Medicaid, with the goal of incentivizing employment. There’s no question that good jobs help spur upward mobility. But if we are serious about helping people work, we have to get serious about helping people improve their skills.

Authored by: Gina Adams and Shayne Spaulding for The Urban Institute
Topics: Child welfare, Cost effectiveness, Dual-generation, Early childhood, Food insecurity, Legislation & Policy, Low-income, Research, Stability, Workforce development
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Dec 17, 2018

Work requirement policies must consider parents' need for child care

Publication
Dec 17, 2018
Gina Adams and Shayne Spaulding for The Urban Institute
Stricter work requirement policies for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) at the federal level were left out of the recently passed farm bill, but state policymakers are still considering whether to expand or establish their own work requirements for SNAP and Medicaid, with the goa
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Case study
Community:
Dec 11, 2018
As the Trump Administration continues to encourage states to take Medicaid coverage away from people who don’t meet a work requirement, a new report describes Montana’s promising alternative: a workforce promotion program that targets state resources toward reducing barriers to work.

Authored by: Hannah Katch for Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
Topics: Affordable Care Act, Asset building, Health, Legislation & Policy, Low-income, Medicaid / Medicare, Partnerships, Research, Workforce development
Shared by Housing Is on Dec 11, 2018

Montana Program Supports Work Without Causing Harm

Case study
Dec 11, 2018
Hannah Katch for Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
As the Trump Administration continues to encourage states to take Medicaid coverage away from people who don’t meet a work requirement, a new report describes Montana’s promising alternative: a workforce promotion program that targets state resources toward reducing barriers to work.
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News Article
Community:
Dec 6, 2018
Recent research shows that social safety net programs benefit everyone.

Authored by: David L. Kirk for The New York Times
Topics: Asset building, Child welfare, Community development, Food insecurity, Legislation & Policy, Medicaid / Medicare, Racial inequalities, Research, Workforce development
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Dec 6, 2018
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Podcast
Community:
How should policymakers address the long-standing youth unemployment problem in Puerto Rico, which only worsened in the wake of Hurricanes Irma and Maria? After natural disasters, the government tends to focus its recovery efforts on infrastructure repairs and mental health services. But employment and economic security are equally important. With support from the W. T. Grant Foundation, MDRC partnered with Instituto del Desarrollo de la Juventud, or the Youth Development Institute, to develop recommendations that can create pathways into the workforce for young people and that are supported by evidence-based and promising practices relevant to the current situation in Puerto Rico. Join Katie Beal as she talks to John Martinez, Director of Program Development at MDRC, about the recommendations we made to facilitate and support training and employment opportunities for young people in Puerto Rico, and the challenges of implementing those recommendations.

Authored by: MDRC
Topics: Low-income, Research, Workforce development, Youth
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Nov 19, 2018
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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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Policy Brief
Community:
Nov 1, 2018
There are opportunities for federal and state policies to better support postsecondary institutions in serving students who are parents and their families. Policymakers can incentivize partnerships, name students who are parents as special or target populations, and facilitate financial aid processes that address the needs of families. Where possible, policies can also encourage creative and innovative approaches to leveraging existing programs to facilitate access and successful completion for parenting students. These recommendations seek to promote policy changes that address the critical supports students raising children and their families need for successful completion: affordable and quality child care, financial aid, wraparound services, and workforce readiness.

Authored by: Ascend: The Aspen Institute
Topics: Dual-generation, Education, Legislation & Policy, Partnerships, Post-secondary, Research, Workforce development, Youth
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Nov 1, 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
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Policy Brief
Community:
Oct 9, 2018
This brief highlights evidence on income support policies, and associated work requirements, for families with young children and proposes a policy-focused research agenda designed to address knowledge gaps in two areas: (1) understanding disparities in participation in income supports and (2) assessing innovative strategies to reduce disparities in income supports.

Authored by: Mathematica
Topics: Legislation & Policy, Low-income, Research, Workforce development
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Oct 22, 2018

Income Supports and Work Requirement Policies: An Equity-Focused Policy Research Agenda

Policy Brief
Oct 9, 2018
Mathematica
This brief highlights evidence on income support policies, and associated work requirements, for families with young children and proposes a policy-focused research agenda designed to address knowledge gaps in two areas: (1) understanding disparities in participation in income supports and (2) asses
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Publication
Community:
Young people are the workers of today and tomorrow. But those who become parents in their teenage years and early 20s, just as they are getting started in the world of work, are often confronted with a harsh reality: odds stacked against their ability to earn, learn and raise a family, which can threaten their children’s future as well as the strength of our communities.

Authored by: The Annie E. Casey Foundation
Topics: Early childhood, Education, Legislation & Policy, Post-secondary, Pre-natal, Research, Workforce development, Youth
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Oct 10, 2018
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Case study
Community:
Jun 25, 2018
The King County Housing Authority (KCHA), in partnership with the Highline School District and the nonprofit social service organization Neighborhood House, launched the Student and Family Stability Initiative (SFSI) pilot program in 2013 to provide housing and employment supports to homeless and unstably housed families with children enrolled in Highline elementary schools. In 2016, KCHA contracted with the Urban Institute (Urban) to conduct a process and outcome evaluation of the program’s first three pilot years. This evaluation documents how SFSI works, who it serves, and how well it helps participants achieve housing stability. This report synthesizes findings from data collection conducted over approximately 10 months that included document review, interviews with SFSI stakeholders, and analysis of program and other relevant KCHA administrative data.

Authored by: Martha M. Galvez, Amanda Gold, and Sara McTarnaghan
Topics: Attendance, Dual-generation, Education, Family engagement, Housing, Low-income, Pacific Northwest, Partnerships, Place-based, Research, Stability, Workforce development, Youth
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Sep 18, 2018

Evaluation of the Student and Family Stability Initiative

Case study
Jun 25, 2018
Martha M. Galvez, Amanda Gold, and Sara McTarnaghan
The King County Housing Authority (KCHA), in partnership with the Highline School District and the nonprofit social service organization Neighborhood House, launched the Student and Family Stability Initiative (SFSI) pilot program in 2013 to provide housing and employment supports to homeless and un
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Report
Community:
May 1, 2018
Our initial report—which followed participants around the country over three years—found, among other things, that Year Up increased participants’ average quarterly earnings by more than 50 percent. These are the largest gains in earnings measured to date in random assignment studies of workforce training programs for youth and adults.

Authored by: David Fein and Jill Hamadyk for Abt Associates
Topics: Asset building, Education, Low-income, Mobility, Post-secondary, Research, Workforce development, Youth
Shared by Housing Is on Aug 16, 2018

Bridging the Opportunity Divide for Low-Income Youth: Implementation and Early Impacts of the Year Up Program

Report
May 1, 2018
David Fein and Jill Hamadyk for Abt Associates
Our initial report—which followed participants around the country over three years—found, among other things, that Year Up increased participants’ average quarterly earnings by more than 50 percent.