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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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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?
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News Article
Community:
May 21, 2019
Food is necessary to live, remain healthy, and work. The Improving Access to Nutrition Act, introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) May 16, would keep food on the tables of people struggling to find quality employment—instead of leaving them to find a job on an empty stomach.

Authored by: Elizabeth Lower-Basch and Parker Gilkesson for The Hill
Topics: Asset building, Food insecurity, Nutrition, Stability
Shared by Housing Is on May 28, 2019
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Research
Community:
Feb 5, 2019
Housing is considered a social determinant of health, with poor housing conditions being associated with poor health. Veterans with disabilities are more likely to experience a housing crisis because of combat experiences and employment instability. We identified facilitators and barriers to finding and maintaining rental housing. We sought to understand the housing needs of Veterans with military-related disabilities using the biopsychoecological model (BEM) as an organizing framework.

Authored by: Semeah, Ahrentzen, Cowper-Ripley, Santos-Roman, Beamish, and Farley for Housing Policy Debate
Topics: Disabilities, Funding, Health, Homelessness, Housing, Legislation & Policy, Research, Safety, Seniors, Stability
Shared by Housing Is on Mar 14, 2019

In Their Own Words: Veterans with Disabilities Share Their Housing Challenges

Research
Feb 5, 2019
Semeah, Ahrentzen, Cowper-Ripley, Santos-Roman, Beamish, and Farley for Housing Policy Debate
Housing is considered a social determinant of health, with poor housing conditions being associated with poor health. Veterans with disabilities are more likely to experience a housing crisis because of combat experiences and employment instability.
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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:
Feb 12, 2019
The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday gave the green light for San Diego County to apply for up to $125 million in state funding to help people get off the streets and receive mental health treatment.

Authored by: Alexander Nguyen for Times of San Diego
Topics: Funding, Homelessness, Housing, Legislation & Policy, Low-income, Mental health, Stability, Substance abuse, West Coast
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Feb 14, 2019
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News Article
Community:
Feb 4, 2019
The U.S. territory needs to urgently tackle issues such as "widespread informal housing" and "the exorbitant amount of abandoned spaces" as it rebuilds after Hurricane Maria.

Authored by: Nicole Acevedo for NBC News
Topics: Community development, Food insecurity, Funding, Homelessness, Housing, Legislation & Policy, Nutrition, Safety, Stability, U.S. Territories
Shared by Housing Is on Feb 4, 2019
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News Article
Community:
Jan 25, 2019
A long understudied facet of the American housing market, evictions have hit no area of the country harder than the South, a region home to most of the top-evicting large and mid-sized U.S. cities, according to a list released by Princeton’s Eviction Lab.

Authored by: Max Blau for The Telegraph
Topics: Homelessness, Housing, Research, South, Stability
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Jan 31, 2019
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News Article
Community:
Jan 30, 2019
More than 130,000 households in Los Angeles County receive some form of federal rental assistance and were at risk of not being able to pay their rent if the shutdown had lasted through the end of February. But the mere threat of thousands of poor people returning to homelessness in L.A. — and the possibility of that threat happening again — has rattled government officials and affordable housing advocates.

Authored by: Benjamin Oreskes and Doug Smith for The Los Angeles Times
Topics: CLPHA, Funding, Homelessness, Housing, Legislation & Policy, Stability, West Coast
Shared by Housing Is on Jan 30, 2019

The government shutdown is over, but uncertainty remains for tenants in public housing

News Article
Jan 30, 2019
Benjamin Oreskes and Doug Smith for The Los Angeles Times
More than 130,000 households in Los Angeles County receive some form of federal rental assistance and were at risk of not being able to pay their rent if the shutdown had lasted through the end of February. But the mere threat of thousands of poor people returning to homelessness in L.A.
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News Article
Community:
Jan 22, 2019
A D.C. housing development serves as a refuge for grandparents raising young children. Is it a model for the rest of the country?

Authored by: Andrew L. Yarrow for The Washington Post
Topics: Child welfare, Dual-generation, East Coast, Family engagement, Low-income, Place-based, Seniors, Stability, Youth
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Jan 22, 2019
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News Article
Community:
Jan 14, 2019
The San Jose Unified School District has its own plan: raze aging school buildings, send their students to new facilities, and turn that land into affordable rental housing for at least 300 teachers and school workers.

Authored by: Dana Goldstein for The New York Times
Topics: Education, Housing, Low-income, Partnerships, Stability, West Coast
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Jan 17, 2019
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News Article
Community:
Jan 16, 2019
In 2018, over half a million people experienced homelessness on a given night in the US. Of those, roughly one in three experienced unsheltered homelessness in a car, outside, or in other places not meant for human habitation.

Authored by: Aaron Shroyer How Housing Matters
Topics: Homelessness, Housing, Low-income, Stability, Supportive housing
Shared by Housing Is on Jan 17, 2019
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News Article
Community:
Jan 10, 2019
Island School is one of 247 “community schools” in New York. These are regular public schools, with a twist. They have longer days and longer school years: Island stays open 12 hours a day, six days a week, including spring and winter breaks as well as the summer. A psychologist makes weekly rounds. A dentist comes by regularly. So does an optometrist, and students who need glasses get them free.

Authored by: David L. Kirk for The New York Times
Topics: Community development, Dual-generation, East Coast, Education, Family engagement, Homelessness, Housing, Low-income, Mental health, Metrics, Partnerships, Stability, Youth
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Jan 10, 2019
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News Article
Community:
Dec 24, 2018
When homeless people get released, their issues combined with living on the street will usually land them back in emergency rooms, costing hospitals like Harborview Medical Center — which operates on a thin margin — time and money. One solution is a type of respite program that provides short-term care to homeless patients who are too sick to be on the streets or in a shelter, but not sick enough to continue to take up a hospital bed.

Authored by: Scott Greenstone for The Seattle Times
Topics: Health, Homelessness, Housing, Pacific Northwest, Partnerships, Place-based, Preventative care, Stability
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Jan 7, 2019
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News Article
Community:
Dec 12, 2018
Lily, a character introduced seven years ago to address child hunger, returns. This time her family does not have a place to live.

Authored by: Nikita Stewart for The New York Times
Topics: Child welfare, Education, Homelessness, Housing, Stability, Youth
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Dec 12, 2018
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News Article
Community:
Dec 10, 2018
As state and federal officials increasingly search for ways to curb rising health care costs, a decades-old idea is gaining traction: helping people with challenges that have nothing to do with medical care but everything to do with their health.

Authored by: Misty Williams for Roll Call
Topics: Cost effectiveness, Food insecurity, Health, Homelessness, Housing, Low-income, Medicaid / Medicare, Nutrition, Partnerships, Preventative care, Stability, Transportation
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Dec 10, 2018
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News Article
Community:
Nov 30, 2018
The city and county of Durham, GoTriangle and the Durham Housing Authority are committed to enhancing opportunities for existing low-income families as well as to increasing the production of affordable housing. The light-rail project is critical to the success of these goals, and the success of these goals is critical to the light-rail project.

Authored by: Anthony Scott and John Tallmadge for The Herald Sun
Topics: Community development, Funding, Housing, Legislation & Policy, Low-income, Partnerships, South, Stability, Transportation
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Dec 3, 2018
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Research
Community:
Nov 27, 2018
Most states use an education funding formula to allocate state and local dollars to school districts. Most funding formulas attempt to account for student poverty, among other factors, in distributing funds. But there are several ways to count low-income students and even more ways to tie dollars to these student counts.

Authored by: Kristin Blagg for The Urban Institute
Topics: Child welfare, Education, Legislation & Policy, Low-income, Place-based, Research, Stability, Youth
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Nov 27, 2018
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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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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.