Welcome to Housing Is, a hub for generating effective programs and sharing innovative ideas.

Sign Up or Sign In
 

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
 
0
0
0
0
Research
Community:
May 25, 2023
We all want to live in a community where everyone has access to safe drinking water, green parks, and a reliable transit system. Strong infrastructure is key to ensuring communities have access to these necessities. But this is not everyone’s reality today. For decades, barriers like residential segregation have fueled a lack of investment and inadequate and failing infrastructure in places where Black, Latino, and Indigenous people live today. These inequities create barriers to good health. Investing in infrastructure—the building blocks of our communities—can transform communities so they are healthier and more equitable places to live.

Authored by: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Topics: Environmental Resiliency/Climate Change, Green, Health, Racial inequalities, Research, Transportation
Shared by Sandra Ware on May 25, 2023
0
0
0
0
Research
Community:
Jan 27, 2023
Poor maternal and child health (MCH) outcomes and rates of chronic disease are persistently high in the United States and concentrated in rural and service-deprived areas where local health departments provide most care. In a new Milbank Quarterly study, Taryn A. G. Quinlan, Amelia L. Mitchell, and Glen P. Mays of the Colorado School of Public Health use national survey data from 630 local health departments to understand the relationship between social service collaboration and the provision of direct MCH services, such as the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). The authors found local health departments that directly offer MCH services were more likely to collaborate with community partners that provide social services. Still, more than half of these departments were considered low collaborators. “By working together to address MCH disparities, health and social service organizations could pool resources to provide needed services and identify innovative solutions to address disparities in their communities, thereby increasing system capacity to achieve equitable health outcomes,” the authors say.

Authored by: Taryn A.G. Quinlan, Amelia L. Mitchell, Glen P. Mays for The Milbank Quarterly
Topics: dual-generation initiative, Early childhood, Health, Low-income, Partnerships, Research
Shared by Sandra Ware on Feb 7, 2023

Who Delivers Maternal and Child Health Services? The Contributions of Public Health and Other Community Partners

Research
Jan 27, 2023
Taryn A.G. Quinlan, Amelia L. Mitchell, Glen P. Mays for The Milbank Quarterly
Poor maternal and child health (MCH) outcomes and rates of chronic disease are persistently high in the United States and concentrated in rural and service-deprived areas where local health departments provide most care. In a new Milbank Quarterly study, Taryn A. G. Quinlan, Amelia L.
0
0
0
0
Research
Community:
Jul 19, 2022
This ebook, authored by Next City, explores ways that creative placemaking can expand opportunities for low-income people living in disinvested communities. The journalism Next City has produced for the series “For Whom, By Whom” chronicles how creative placemaking can expand opportunities for low-income people living in disinvested communities. These stories give lie to the false narrative that such neighborhoods are home to violence and deprivation instead of talent, imagination, and solutions. Here are communities that produce incredible feats despite being terminally under-resourced, and despite systemic neglect that has persisted for generations.

Authored by:
Topics: Community development, Mobility, Place-based, Racial inequalities, Research
Shared by Malcolm Guy on Jul 19, 2022
0
0
0
0
Research
Community:
Aug 5, 2019
CLPHA developed a general data sharing template that public housing authorities (PHAs) and their health partners can customize to suit their data sharing and collaboration needs. Please feel free to comment to share any uses/modifications your organization made to implement into a partnership.

Authored by:
Topics: Affordable Care Act, CLPHA, Community development, Cost effectiveness, Data sharing, Dental, Depression, Dual-eligibles, Funding, Health, Healthy homes, Legislation & Policy, Low-income, Medicaid / Medicare, Mental health, Metrics, MTW, Nutrition, Obesity, Partnerships, Place-based, Preventative care, Racial inequalities, Research, SAMHSA, Smoke-free, Stability, Substance abuse, Supportive housing, Sustainability, TA
Shared by Steve Lucas on Aug 5, 2019

CLPHA Data Sharing Template for PHAs and Health Organizations

 

Disclaimer: This template is provided for informational purposes only and not for the purpose of providing legal advice. You should contact your attorney to obtain advice with respect to any particular issue or question. Use of this template, including its exhibits and attachments, does not create a relationship or any responsibilities between CLPHA and the user.

Research
Aug 5, 2019
CLPHA developed a general data sharing template that public housing authorities (PHAs) and their health partners can customize to suit their data sharing and collaboration needs. Please feel free to comment to share any uses/modifications your organization made to implement into a partnership.
0
0
0
0
Research
Community:
Mar 25, 2019
The articles below are part of a special collection commemorating 25 years of the Health Care System Research Network’s (HCSRN's) rigorous research to improve health outcomes and health systems’ performance by leveraging electronic health data. This new collection highlights, among other things, advances in personalized cancer care, the optimal use of AI in health care, and the evolution of common data models, featuring work from Kaiser Permanente, Intermountain Healthcare and others.

Authored by: The Journal for Electronic Health Data and Methods
Topics: Data sharing, Health, Partnerships, Research
Shared by Housing Is on Jun 13, 2019
0
0
0
0
Research
Community:
Jun 5, 2019
A new report by Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago finds that youth homelessness has its origins in early family experiences, including family homelessness. The findings make painfully clear that housing alone is insufficient to prevent and “end” youth homelessness, and that addressing youth homelessness alone, without explicit connections and fervent attention to family homelessness, will result in continued homelessness for all populations.

Authored by: SchoolHouse Connection
Topics: Early childhood, Homelessness, Housing, Legislation & Policy
Shared by Housing Is on Jun 5, 2019
0
0
0
0
Research
Community:
May 30, 2019
Children experiencing homelessness or living in inadequate and unstable housing are exposed to many risks, including a heightened threat of involvement with the child welfare system. Can child welfare agencies play a role in addressing the lack of affordable housing? What if providing housing, plus other supportive services, could prevent out-of-home placements to foster care? What if, for those children already in foster care, it could help them reunify with their parents?

Authored by: Mary K. Cunningham, Mike Pergamit, and Sarah Gillespie for The Urban Institute
Topics: Child welfare, Research, Stability, Supportive housing
Shared by Housing Is on May 30, 2019

Supportive Housing Can Help Keep Families Together

Research
May 30, 2019
Mary K. Cunningham, Mike Pergamit, and Sarah Gillespie for The Urban Institute
Children experiencing homelessness or living in inadequate and unstable housing are exposed to many risks, including a heightened threat of involvement with the child welfare system. Can child welfare agencies play a role in addressing the lack of affordable housing?
0
0
0
0
Research
Community:
Oct 14, 2017
While homeownership has been linked to positive health outcomes there is limited evidence regarding the conditions under which it may be health protective. We present a conceptual model linking homeownership to health, highlighting key potential pathways. Using the Detroit Metropolitan Area as a case study, and data from the American Community Survey (2009–2013; 5-years estimates) and Michigan Department of Community Health, we tested the following questions: (1) Is neighborhood percentage non-Hispanic Black (NHB) associated with homeownership? (2) Is neighborhood percentage NHB associated with health? (3) Is the association between percentage NHB and health mediated by homeownership? (4) Does neighborhood housing value modify associations between percentage NHB and health, or between homeownership and health?

Authored by: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Topics: Health, Housing, Research
Shared by Housing Is on May 23, 2019

Neighborhood Context, Homeownership and Home Value: An Ecological Analysis of Implications for Health

Research
Oct 14, 2017
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
While homeownership has been linked to positive health outcomes there is limited evidence regarding the conditions under which it may be health protective. We present a conceptual model linking homeownership to health, highlighting key potential pathways.
0
0
0
0
Research
Community:
Early childhood education programs can impact life outcomes in ways that span generations, according to new research from Nobel laureate James Heckman. In a pair of companion papers released this week, the pioneering University of Chicago economist found that the children of those who participated in a landmark 1960s study still saw improvements in education, health and employment. The children saw such benefits without participating in the same preschool program as their parents—suggesting that early education can contribute to lasting upward mobility and help break cycles of poverty

Authored by: Professor James Heckman and Ganesh Karapakula
Topics: Child welfare, Dual-generation, Early childhood, Family engagement, Research
Shared by Housing Is on May 21, 2019
0
0
0
0
Research
Community:
May 21, 2019
The Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) was first developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 1990 to assess the health risk behaviors of youth and adults in the United States. For the first time since the survey has been widely administered, the 2017 YRBS optional question list included two questions pertaining to homelessness. SchoolHouse Connection analyzed demographic and risk factor data from the YRBS in 17 states[1], comparing high school students experiencing homelessness and those not experiencing homelessness. This series shares the striking and heartbreaking results of that analysis, with tangible action steps schools can take to promote safety and health for students experiencing homelessness.

Authored by: SchoolHouse Connection
Topics: Education, Homelessness, Low-income, Research, Youth
Shared by Housing Is on May 21, 2019
0
0
0
0
Research
Community:
Mar 14, 2019
Despite abundant evidence about the effect of children’s socioeconomic circumstances on their transition to adulthood, we know much less about the effect of social policy programs aimed at poor families with children in facilitating how and when children become adults. This issue is particularly important for the U.S. federal subsidized housing program given its long history of placing subsidized units in some of the poorest and most racially segregated neighborhoods. Using counterfactual causal methods that adjust for the length of receipt of subsidized housing, I estimate the effect of subsidized housing on teenage parenthood, household formation, and educational attainment. I find that the subsidized housing program has either null or positive effects on the transition to adulthood and that these effects vary by both race and gender. These results underscore the importance of considering whether social programs have differential effects on the life chances of individuals based on both race and gender.

Authored by: Yana Kucheva for Demography
Topics: Homelessness, Housing, Racial inequalities, Research, Youth
Shared by Housing Is on May 20, 2019
0
0
0
0
Research
Community:
Apr 29, 2019
When following the mother–child pair from pregnancy through five years postpartum, the estimated cost is $14.2 billion for births in 2017, or an average of $32,000 for every mother–child pair affected but not treated.

Authored by: Mathematica
Topics: Dual-generation, Early childhood, Mental health, Pre-natal, Research
Shared by Housing Is on Apr 30, 2019
0
0
0
0
Research
Community:
Apr 23, 2019
Sweeping changes designed to make the food more nutritious in a federal assistance program for low-income families reduced the risk for obesity for 4-year-olds who had been on the program since birth, according to new research.

Authored by: UCLA Fielding School of Public Health
Topics: Early childhood, Food insecurity, Low-income, Nutrition, Obesity, Research
Shared by Housing Is on Apr 29, 2019

UCLA-Tulane study finds improved WIC food packages reduced children's risk for obesity

Research
Apr 23, 2019
UCLA Fielding School of Public Health
Sweeping changes designed to make the food more nutritious in a federal assistance program for low-income families reduced the risk for obesity for 4-year-olds who had been on the program since birth, according to new research.
0
0
0
0
Research
Community:
May 18, 2018
Parent involvement is associated with child academic outcomes, positive behaviors, and social skills. This qualitative study explored school-based parent involvement barriers experienced by nine low-income mothers. In-depth interviews were used to collect data from mothers participating in a community-based program offered in a large public housing neighborhood. Findings included three main barriers: (a) cultural and language differences in their children’s school, (b) undertones of racism from teachers and parents, and (c) being the primary caregiver or sole provider for their children. Although all parents experience challenges to school involvement, low-income mothers face additional obstacles preventing them from engaging in their children’s schools. This perceived lack of school involvement can lead to feelings of helplessness, shame, and stigma.

Authored by: Stephanie Lechuga-Pena and Daniel Brisson for TQR
Topics: Education, Family engagement, Housing, Low-income, Racial inequalities, Research
Shared by Housing Is on Apr 25, 2019

Barriers to School-Based Parent Involvement While Living in Public Housing: A Mother's Perspective

Research
May 18, 2018
Stephanie Lechuga-Pena and Daniel Brisson for TQR
Parent involvement is associated with child academic outcomes, positive behaviors, and social skills. This qualitative study explored school-based parent involvement barriers experienced by nine low-income mothers.
0
0
0
0
Research
Community:
Apr 1, 2019
Serious mental illness (SMI) is a disabling condition that develops early in life and imposes substantial economic burden. There is a growing belief that early intervention for SMI has lifelong benefits for patients. However, assessing the cost-effectiveness of early intervention efforts is hampered by a lack of evidence on the long-term benefits. We addressed this by using a dynamic microsimulation model to estimate the lifetime burden of SMI for those diagnosed by age twenty-five.

Authored by: Health Affairs
Topics: Disabilities, Education, Low-income, Mental health, Research
Shared by Housing Is on Apr 23, 2019

Measuring The Lifetime Costs of Serious Mental Illness And The Mitigating Effects of Educational Attainment

Research
Apr 1, 2019
Health Affairs
Serious mental illness (SMI) is a disabling condition that develops early in life and imposes substantial economic burden. There is a growing belief that early intervention for SMI has lifelong benefits for patients.
0
0
0
0
Research
Community:
Apr 16, 2019
This report presents a case study of the Chicago Housing Authority’s (CHA’s) work requirement policy, one of a small number of work requirements implemented by housing authorities. The report describes the CHA work requirement, the policy’s implementation and how it has changed, and perceptions of implementation and outcomes from key CHA and service provider staff and residents. The CHA work requirement has been in place for nearly 10 years, allowing us to analyze implementation over time and outcomes.

Authored by: Diane K. Levy, Leiha Edmonds, Samantha Batko, and Marcus Gaddy for The Urban Institute
Topics: Asset building, Legislation & Policy, Low-income, Midwest, Research
Shared by Housing Is on Apr 23, 2019
0
0
0
0
Research
Community:
Nov 27, 2018
A growing body of research suggests that housing eviction is more common than previously recognized and may play an important role in the reproduction of poverty. The proportion of children affected by housing eviction, however, remains largely unknown. We estimate that one in seven children born in large U.S. cities in 1998–2000 experienced at least one eviction for nonpayment of rent or mortgage between birth and age 15. Rates of eviction were substantial across all cities and demographic groups studied, but children from disadvantaged backgrounds were most likely to experience eviction. Among those born into deep poverty, we estimate that approximately one in four were evicted by age 15. Given prior evidence that forced moves have negative consequences for children, we conclude that the high prevalence and social stratification of housing eviction are sufficient to play an important role in the reproduction of poverty and warrant greater policy attention.

Authored by: Ian Lundberg and Louis Donnelly
Topics: Early childhood, Homelessness, Housing, Low-income, Racial inequalities, Research
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Apr 18, 2019

A Research Note on the Prevalance of Housing Eviction Among Children Born in U.S. Cities

Research
Nov 27, 2018
Ian Lundberg and Louis Donnelly
A growing body of research suggests that housing eviction is more common than previously recognized and may play an important role in the reproduction of poverty. The proportion of children affected by housing eviction, however, remains largely unknown.
0
0
0
0
Research
Community:
To what extent is there a mix of incomes within the LIHTC complexes? Is it realistic to expect properties without an explicit mixed-income focus to create and sustain mixed-income communities?

Authored by: Raphael Bostic, Andrew Jakabovics, Richard Voith, and Sean Zielenback
Topics: Housing, Low-income, Research
Shared by Housing Is on Apr 17, 2019

Mixed-Income LIHTC Developments in Chicago: A First Look at Their Income Characteristics and Spillover Impacts

Research
Raphael Bostic, Andrew Jakabovics, Richard Voith, and Sean Zielenback
To what extent is there a mix of incomes within the LIHTC complexes? Is it realistic to expect properties without an explicit mixed-income focus to create and sustain mixed-income communities?
0
0
0
0
Research
Community:
Jun 18, 2018
The social, economic, and physical environments in which older adults live play a vital role in healthy, active, and engaged lives. But older adults live in unequal environments. Low-income older adults and older racial-ethnic minorities are more likely to live in neighborhoods characterized by poverty, disorder, lack of social cohesion, and pollution. At all income levels there is a greater proportion of older racial-ethnic minorities in neighborhoods with economic, social, and physical problems. Neighborhood inequality may contribute to disparities in the aging experience.

Authored by: Jennifer Ailshire and Catherine Garcia for Generations (also featured by How Housing Matters at The Urban Institute)
Topics: Housing, Low-income, Racial inequalities, Seniors
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Apr 11, 2019

Unequal Places: The Impacts of Socioeconomic and Race/Ethnic Differences in Neighborhoods

Research
Jun 18, 2018
Jennifer Ailshire and Catherine Garcia for Generations (also featured by How Housing Matters at The Urban Institute)
The social, economic, and physical environments in which older adults live play a vital role in healthy, active, and engaged lives. But older adults live in unequal environments.
0
0
0
0
Research
Community:
Feb 22, 2019
Thoughtfully developed, accessible communities may boost parent engagement and student outcomes in low-income neighborhoods

Authored by: Rachel Sturtz for University of Colorado Denver
Topics: Community development, Education, Family engagement, Housing, Low-income, Partnerships, Racial inequalities, Transportation
Shared by Housing Is on Apr 4, 2019
0
0
0
0
Research
Community:
Mar 1, 2019
In 2015, approximately 21,000 youth in the United States became emancipated-commonly referred to as "aged out"-from the foster care system; neither being adopted nor reunified with their family of origin, and were therefore expected to live independent lives. In addition to the youth who aged out, nearly 1,000 youth ran away from foster care. Over the past two decades, studies have consistently indicated a strong association between experiencing homelessness and having prior placement in the foster care system. Youth who age out of foster care are among the populations at the greatest risk of becoming homeless with as many as half of youth experiencing homelessness or housing instability within 18 months of their exit from the foster care system. While precise population statistics on the number of youth experiencing homelessness are difficult to ascertain, it is estimated that approximately 1.24 million will face an episode of homelessness in a given year, representing approximately seven percent of the total population who are homeless.

Authored by: Nicholas Forge, Robin Hartinger-Saunders, Eric Wright, and Erin Ruel for Child Welfare Journal
Topics: Child welfare, Homelessness, Housing, Research, Youth
Shared by Housing Is on Apr 4, 2019

Out of the System and onto the Streets: LGBTQ-Identified Youth Experiencing Homelessness with Past Child Welfare System Involvement

Research
Mar 1, 2019
Nicholas Forge, Robin Hartinger-Saunders, Eric Wright, and Erin Ruel for Child Welfare Journal
In 2015, approximately 21,000 youth in the United States became emancipated-commonly referred to as "aged out"-from the foster care system; neither being adopted nor reunified with their family of origin, and were therefore expected to live independent lives.
0
0
0
0
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
0
0
0
0
Research
Community:
Feb 1, 2019
The authors draw on interviews with 50 families in Cleveland and its suburbs to uncover their experiences in choosing a home and school for their children in the suburbs. Nearly all families were seeking the “package deal”— good schools in good neighborhoods — and looked to the suburbs to find it. Families were often convinced of the superior quality of suburban schools but, owing to the legacies of enduring structural racism and emerging segregation in the suburbs, Black families were more likely to be disappointed in their suburban schools than their white counterparts. Families of color were also constrained by the legacies of enduring structural racism that has reproduced racial inequalities.

Authored by: Anna Rhodes and Siri Warkentien for How Housing Matters Research (MacArthur Foundation)
Topics: Education, Housing, Legislation & Policy, Racial inequalities, Research
Shared by Housing Is on Mar 28, 2019

Even As The Suburbs Diversify, Racial Inequality Persists in Suburban Schools

Research
Feb 1, 2019
Anna Rhodes and Siri Warkentien for How Housing Matters Research (MacArthur Foundation)
The authors draw on interviews with 50 families in Cleveland and its suburbs to uncover their experiences in choosing a home and school for their children in the suburbs. Nearly all families were seeking the “package deal”— good schools in good neighborhoods — and looked to the suburbs to find it.
0
0
0
0
Research
Community:
Mar 20, 2019
Launched in 2016, the Denver Supportive Housing SIB aims to support residents struggling with homelessness, substance use, and mental health problems by increasing the number of people getting and staying housed and reducing the number of days they spend in jail. The permanent supportive housing model combines a permanent housing subsidy with wraparound services, such as mental health counseling, to help people improve their stability. In Denver, MHCD and the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless (CCH) were selected to offer these services as part of the SIB.

Authored by: The Urban Institute
Topics: Cost effectiveness, Criminal justice, Homelessness, Housing, Low-income, Pacific Northwest, Partnerships, Research, Substance abuse
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Mar 26, 2019

Starting with Stability: How Denver Is Breaking the Homelessness-Jail Cycle

Research
Mar 20, 2019
The Urban Institute
Launched in 2016, the Denver Supportive Housing SIB aims to support residents struggling with homelessness, substance use, and mental health problems by increasing the number of people getting and staying housed and reducing the number of days they spend in jail.
0
0
0
0
Research
Community:
Jan 1, 2019
Homelessness during pregnancy poses significant health risks for mothers and infants. As health care providers increase their emphasis on social determinants of health, it is important to understand how unstable housing contributes to complications during pregnancy. We linked data about emergency shelter enrollees with Massachusetts Medicaid claims for the period January 1, 2008–June 30, 2015 to compare health care use and pregnancy complications for 9,124 women who used emergency shelter with those for 8,757 similar women who did not. Rates of mental illness and substance use disorders were significantly higher among homeless women. Adjusted odds of having nine pregnancy complications were also significantly higher for homeless women and remained substantially unchanged after we adjusted for behavioral health disorders.

Authored by: Robin Clark, Linda Weinreb, Julie Flahive, and Robert Seifert for Health Affairs
Topics: Child welfare, Depression, Early childhood, Homelessness, Housing, Low-income, Mental health, Pre-natal, Research, Substance abuse
Shared by Housing Is on Mar 26, 2019

Homelessness Contributes To Pregnancy Complications

Research
Jan 1, 2019
Robin Clark, Linda Weinreb, Julie Flahive, and Robert Seifert for Health Affairs
Homelessness during pregnancy poses significant health risks for mothers and infants. As health care providers increase their emphasis on social determinants of health, it is important to understand how unstable housing contributes to complications during pregnancy.