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
Interactive
Community:
Federal tax credits, like the EITC and refundable CTC, provide critical supports for millions of working women, children, and families every year. They supplement low wages and can help soften the financial impact of fluctuating incomes or job losses. These credits are especially important for communities of color and women.

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

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

Interactive
Food Research & Action Center (FRAC)
Federal tax credits, like the EITC and refundable CTC, provide critical supports for millions of working women, children, and families every year. They supplement low wages and can help soften the financial impact of fluctuating incomes or job losses.
0
0
0
0
Publication
Community:
Feb 28, 2019
In light of the many costs generated by child poverty for the United States, a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine provides evidence-based policy and program packages that could cut the child poverty rate by as much as 50 percent while at the same time increasing employment and earnings among adults living in low-income families.

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

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

Publication
Feb 28, 2019
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
In light of the many costs generated by child poverty for the United States, a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine provides evidence-based policy and program packages that could cut the child poverty rate by as much as 50 percent while at the same time incre
0
0
0
0
Report
Community:
The strengths and abilities children develop from infancy through adolescence are crucial for their physical, emotional, and cognitive growth, which in turn help them to achieve success in school and to become responsible, economically self-sufficient, and healthy adults. Capable, responsible, and healthy adults are clearly the foundation of a well-functioning and prosperous society, yet America’s future is not as secure as it could be because millions of American children live in families with incomes below the poverty line. A wealth of evidence suggests that a lack of adequate economic resources for families with children compromises these children’s ability to grow and achieve adult success, hurting them and the broader society.

Authored by: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
Topics: Child welfare, Dual-generation, Legislation & Policy, Low-income, Research
Shared by Housing Is on Mar 1, 2019
0
0
0
0
Report
Community:
The monthly benefits provided by SNAP enhance the food purchasing power of eligible low-income individuals and families. However, as described by many studies, including one by the Institute of Medicine, the greatest shortcoming of SNAP is that benefits for most households are not enough to get through the entire month without hunger or being forced to sacrifice nutrition quality. This limitation persists even in the face of overwhelming evidence on the gains from more adequate monthly SNAP benefits.This paper analyzes why SNAP benefits are inadequate, reviews the body of research showing positive effects from more adequate SNAP benefits, and concludes with some of the key policy solutions that can improve benefit adequacy.

Authored by: Food Research & Action Center (FRAC)
Topics: Food insecurity, Legislation & Policy, Low-income, Nutrition, Research
Shared by Housing Is on Mar 1, 2019
0
0
0
0
Report
Community:
Feb 1, 2019
This annual report analyzes participation in the School Breakfast Program among low-income children nationally and in each state and the District of Columbia for the 2017–2018 school year. The report features best practices for increasing participation in the program, including breakfast after the bell models and community eligibility.

Authored by: Food Research & Action Center (FRAC)
Topics: Child welfare, Education, Food insecurity, Metrics, Nutrition, Research
Shared by Housing Is on Mar 1, 2019
0
0
0
0
Report
Community:
Feb 1, 2019
This report looks at school breakfast participation and policies in 76 large school districts across the country to evaluate successful practices in reaching more low-income children with school breakfast. This is a companion report to the School Breakfast Scorecard. Also check out our interactive school breakfast participation map.

Authored by: Food Research & Action Center (FRAC)
Topics: Child welfare, Early childhood, Education, Food insecurity, Low-income, Nutrition
Shared by Housing Is on Mar 1, 2019

School Breakfast: Making it Work in Large School Districts, 2017-2018 School Year

Report
Feb 1, 2019
Food Research & Action Center (FRAC)
This report looks at school breakfast participation and policies in 76 large school districts across the country to evaluate successful practices in reaching more low-income children with school breakfast. This is a companion report to the School Breakfast Scorecard.
0
0
0
0
Publication
Community:
Feb 25, 2019
The 2019 state legislative season is in full swing, and SchoolHouse Connection is hard at work on 12 bills in 7 states (IN, KY, ME, NV, TN, TX, UT). We’re also supporting legislative advocates in 4 additional states (AZ, CA, MD, WA), and anticipate additional bills to be filed in LA, MO, NJ, and NC.

Authored by: SchoolHouse Connection
Topics: Child welfare, Education, Funding, Homelessness, Housing, Legislation & Policy, Low-income, Youth
Shared by Housing Is on Feb 28, 2019

A Dozen Bills and Counting to Help Youth Experiencing Homelessness

Publication
Feb 25, 2019
SchoolHouse Connection
The 2019 state legislative season is in full swing, and SchoolHouse Connection is hard at work on 12 bills in 7 states (IN, KY, ME, NV, TN, TX, UT). We’re also supporting legislative advocates in 4 additional states (AZ, CA, MD, WA), and anticipate additional bills to be filed in LA, MO, NJ, and NC.
0
0
0
0
News Article
Community:
Feb 28, 2019
The city says it plans to move ahead with a costly, stopgap renovation of a New Orleans jail building to house dozens of inmates with mental health issues — but it also wants to keep its options open.

Authored by: Matt Sledge for the New Orleans Advocate
Topics: Criminal justice, Housing, Legislation & Policy, Low-income, Mental health, South, Supportive housing
Shared by Housing Is on Feb 28, 2019

New Orleans ready to follow 'very costly' plan for housing mental-health inmates, with caveats

News Article
Feb 28, 2019
Matt Sledge for the New Orleans Advocate
The city says it plans to move ahead with a costly, stopgap renovation of a New Orleans jail building to house dozens of inmates with mental health issues — but it also wants to keep its options open.
0
0
0
0
News Article
Community:
Feb 26, 2019
In a typical year, Cincinnati and Hamilton County have about 600 young adults between the ages of 18 and 24 staying in local homeless shelters, said Bonita Campbell, vice president of homeless youth services for Lighthouse Youth & Family Services. The KEYS plan aims to cut that number in half by 2020 and continue to reduce it from there, she said. To reach those goals, the plan is focused on the specific needs of young adults and how they differ from the needs of older people experiencing homelessness, Campbell said.

Authored by: Lucy May and Emily Maxwell for WCPO Cincinnati
Topics: Homelessness, Housing, Low-income, Youth
Shared by Housing Is on Feb 28, 2019

New plan to reduce youth homelessness in Cincinnati, Hamilton County

News Article
Feb 26, 2019
Lucy May and Emily Maxwell for WCPO Cincinnati
In a typical year, Cincinnati and Hamilton County have about 600 young adults between the ages of 18 and 24 staying in local homeless shelters, said Bonita Campbell, vice president of homeless youth services for Lighthouse Youth & Family Services.
0
0
0
0
News Article
Community:
Feb 23, 2019
Gerrymandered school boundaries and greater transportation costs are the trade-off school districts must make in order to achieve racial integration and close the racial achievement gap, said a researcher from the Urban Institute.

Authored by: Roger McKinney for Columbia Daily Tribune
Topics: Child welfare, Education, Legislation & Policy, Racial inequalities, Research, Transportation
Shared by Housing Is on Feb 28, 2019
0
0
0
0
Research
Community:
Nov 1, 2018
In this study, researchers conduct a literature review across public health, environmental health, medical, sociology, and urban planning journals to synthesize the research on the mental health effects of rat infestations on residents living in urban neighborhoods.

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

The Mental Health Consequences of Rat Exposure

Research
Nov 1, 2018
Kaylee Byers, Chelsea G. Himsworth, and Raymond Lam for The Journal of Environmental Health
In this study, researchers conduct a literature review across public health, environmental health, medical, sociology, and urban planning journals to synthesize the research on the mental health effects of rat infestations on residents living in urban neighborhoods.
0
0
0
0
Publication
Community:
Feb 27, 2019
Over the past two decades, criminal justice reform has focused on evidence-based interventions to prevent arrests and incarceration and to facilitate community reintegration. These initiatives represent a movement toward a less punitive, more holistic approach to public safety, targeting critical social factors that lead to and perpetuate criminal justice involvement. Because housing problems are often a key underlying factor for people’s involvement with the criminal justice system, there are ways housing interventions can help lessen criminal justice involvement. Decriminalizing homelessness, for example, can reduce rates of initial arrest and incarceration, especially for people with low-level, nonviolent offenses. A sufficient supply of affordable housing and supportive services could help people stabilize after their release from jail and reduce the likelihood of recidivism. Policymakers, advocates, and practitioners in housing and criminal justice systems can partner to promote and evaluate housing strategies that divert people from the criminal justice system.

Authored by: Kimberly Burrowes for How Housing Matters (Urban Institute)
Topics: Criminal justice, Homelessness, Housing, Legislation & Policy, Low-income, Research, Stability
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Feb 28, 2019
0
0
0
0
Report
Community:
Welcome to the Food Research & Action Center’s winter issue of ResearchWire. This quarterly newsletter focuses on the latest research, reports, and resources from government agencies, academic researchers, think tanks, and elsewhere at the intersection of food insecurity, poverty, the federal nutrition programs, and health.

Authored by: Food Research & Action Center (FRAC)
Topics: Child welfare, Food insecurity, Funding, Health, Legislation & Policy, Low-income, Nutrition, Research, Youth
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Feb 28, 2019
0
0
0
0
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
0
0
0
0
News Article
Community:
Jan 30, 2019
The gas tax hasn’t budged since 1992, and highway trust fund is running on fumes. Could a Green New Deal pushed by Congress be a fix?

Authored by: Laura Bliss for CityLab
Topics: Community development, Funding, Housing, Legislation & Policy, Transportation
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Feb 28, 2019
0
0
0
0
Interactive
Community:
This decision-support tool enables you to exhibit economic conditions among communities in the Portland-Vancouver region and it provides a data picture of the regional economy to align investments that achieve the coordinated vision of Greater Portland 2020, the 2040 Growth Concept, the Regional Transportation Plan, and Metro’s six desired outcomes, focused on ensuring current and future residents benefit from the region’s sustained economic competitiveness and prosperity.

Authored by: Oregon Metro
Topics: Community development, Low-income, Racial inequalities
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Feb 28, 2019

Economic Values Atlas

Interactive
Oregon Metro
This decision-support tool enables you to exhibit economic conditions among communities in the Portland-Vancouver region and it provides a data picture of the regional economy to align investments that achieve the coordinated vision of Greater Portland 2020, the 2040 Growth Concept, the Regional Tra
0
0
0
0
Publication
Community:
Feb 15, 2019
Despite that consensus, the digital divide is about to get worse, and current policies will exacerbate it. We need to replace those policies with a coordinated approach that provides appropriate incentives for all stakeholders to bridge widening gaps.

Authored by: Blair Levin for The Brookings Institution
Topics: Broadband, Legislation & Policy, Low-income, Racial inequalities
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Feb 28, 2019
0
0
0
0
Publication
Community:
Feb 22, 2019
The development of new digital telecommunications capabilities combined with a persistent digital divide leaves the public sector with enormous responsibilities to promote network quality and deliver equitable access—but it can only do so by sensibly splitting regulatory responsibilities between the national and local levels. Unfortunately, news out of Washington, D.C. reveals the federal government has overstepped its appropriate role, constricting local governments’ abilities to craft locally tailored solutions.

Authored by: Blair Levin for The Brookings Institution
Topics: Broadband, Community development, Legislation & Policy, Low-income
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Feb 28, 2019

Mayors or the FCC: Who understand the broadband needs of metropolitan residents?

Publication
Feb 22, 2019
Blair Levin for The Brookings Institution
The development of new digital telecommunications capabilities combined with a persistent digital divide leaves the public sector with enormous responsibilities to promote network quality and deliver equitable access—but it can only do so by sensibly splitting regulatory responsibilities between the
0
0
0
0
Publication
Community:
Feb 19, 2019
So, are the stars better aligned for an infrastructure bill this year? Unfortunately, rhetoric only goes so far, and Washington continues to suffer from the same elemental failure as it did in 2017—the U.S. lacks a clear infrastructure vision. Only when Congress is ready to truly debate what objectives the federal government hopes to achieve—and how to invest to advance those goals—can we begin to craft a transformative national strategy.

Authored by: Adie Tomer and Joseph Kane for The Brookings Institution
Topics: Community development, Funding, Housing, Legislation & Policy, Transportation
Shared by Housing Is on Feb 28, 2019

New year, same debate? Washington needs a fresh infrastructure approach

Publication
Feb 19, 2019
Adie Tomer and Joseph Kane for The Brookings Institution
So, are the stars better aligned for an infrastructure bill this year? Unfortunately, rhetoric only goes so far, and Washington continues to suffer from the same elemental failure as it did in 2017—the U.S. lacks a clear infrastructure vision.
0
0
0
0
Video
Community:
Feb 20, 2019
With the active support of their residents, HABG converted a 34-passenger bus donated by Warren County Public Schools. The new mobile grocery store will offer fresh fruits and vegetables to families who currently live in a 'food desert' where the cost of eating healthy can be beyond their reach. HAGB's new mobile grocery store will visit public housing developments and other low-income neighborhoods in Bowling Green to help residents lower their food costs by offering affordable groceries, including fresh produce grown at HAGB. More than 90 residents were surveyed and almost everyone said they would use the mobile grocery store at least once weekly.

Authored by: Housing Authority of Bowling Green
Topics: Food insecurity, Health, Housing, Low-income, Nutrition, Place-based
Shared by Housing Is on Feb 28, 2019
0
0
0
0
News Article
Community:
Feb 21, 2019
Homelessness among students enrolled in schools from kindergarten through 12th grade has increased 70 percent over the last decade.

Authored by: Lauren Camera for U.S. News and World Report
Topics: Child welfare, Education, Homelessness, Housing, Research, Youth
Shared by Housing Is on Feb 25, 2019
0
0
0
0
News Article
Community:
Feb 14, 2019
This week, the Food Research & Action Center in Washington, D.C., published its annual School Breakfast Scorecard, analyzing school breakfast participation throughout the country for the 2017-2018 school year. Here are six things to know from the report.

Authored by: Benita Gingerella for Food Service Director
Topics: Early childhood, Education, Food insecurity, Health, Nutrition, Youth
Shared by Housing Is on Feb 25, 2019

6 thins to know about the state of school breakfast participation

News Article
Feb 14, 2019
Benita Gingerella for Food Service Director
This week, the Food Research & Action Center in Washington, D.C., published its annual School Breakfast Scorecard, analyzing school breakfast participation throughout the country for the 2017-2018 school year. Here are six things to know from the report.
0
0
0
0
Publication
Community:
We can imagine a future where everyone can find and afford a quality home. Where every neighborhood offers a diversity of housing options. And where people up and down the income ladder can enjoy housing security and build wealth through ownership. Achieving this vision requires more than incremental tinkering with today’s market institutions and public policies. It requires bold innovation by changemakers at all levels of government and in the private and nonprofit sectors.

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

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

Publication
Urban Institute
We can imagine a future where everyone can find and afford a quality home. Where every neighborhood offers a diversity of housing options. And where people up and down the income ladder can enjoy housing security and build wealth through ownership.
0
0
0
0
Publication
Community:
Jan 31, 2019
For many years, the vulnerabilities of children experiencing homelessness have been glossed over on the assumption that their innate resilience would overcome the impact of homelessness. As someone who worked in the field, I would often hear, “Oh, they’ll never remember.” Today we know better. We know more about how the brain develops and about how trauma impacts brain development. There is a growing recognition among providers that these early years are critical for establishing a foundation for emotional, mental, and physical wellbeing, and that we don’t get a second chance at early childhood.

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

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

Publication
Jan 31, 2019
Carol Klocek for SchoolHouse Connection
For many years, the vulnerabilities of children experiencing homelessness have been glossed over on the assumption that their innate resilience would overcome the impact of homelessness. As someone who worked in the field, I would often hear, “Oh, they’ll never remember.” Today we know better.
0
0
0
0
News Article
Community:
Feb 19, 2019
New Orleans faced a major crisis in homelessness following Hurricane Katrina. In 2007, two years after the storm, there were more than 11,600 homeless people in the city. Since then, New Orleans stepped up its effort to tackle homelessness and has brought that number down 90 percent.

Authored by: Jeremy Hobson for WBUR
Topics: Homelessness, Housing, Legislation & Policy, Partnerships, South
Shared by Housing Is on Feb 21, 2019

How New Orleans Reduced Its Homeless Population By 90 Percent

News Article
Feb 19, 2019
Jeremy Hobson for WBUR
New Orleans faced a major crisis in homelessness following Hurricane Katrina. In 2007, two years after the storm, there were more than 11,600 homeless people in the city. Since then, New Orleans stepped up its effort to tackle homelessness and has brought that number down 90 percent.