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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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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.
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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.
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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
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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
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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.
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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:
Feb 19, 2019
Integrating health care data with data from other sectors helps address the holistic needs of individual patients while informing the development of population-level programs and policies that can improve outcomes, both in health care and other sectors. This paper provides guidance for those in non-health care sectors (e.g. housing, social services, community-based organizations) on effectively engaging and advancing conversations with health care stakeholders about collaborating to share data, focusing on the specific stakeholder of hospitals/health systems.

Authored by: Data Across Sectors for Health (DASH)
Topics: Health, Housing, Low-income, Medicaid / Medicare, Partnerships
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Feb 20, 2019
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News Article
Community:
Dec 3, 2018
Sen. Ben Allen (D-Santa Monica) wants to eliminate Article 34 of the state Constitution, which requires a citywide public vote before new low-income housing projects that receive public funding are built. The provision was added to the Constitution through a ballot initiative in 1950, and Allen said it was a relic in need of repeal.

Authored by: Liam Dillon for the Los Angeles Times
Topics: Housing, Legislation & Policy, Low-income, West Coast
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Feb 19, 2019
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Research
Community:
What is source of income discrimination, and who are the Rhode Islanders affected by it? The federal Fair Housing Act prohibits housing discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, familial status, sex, and disability. Rhode Island state law goes further, granting residents additional rights. Yet both still allow landlords to reject a prospective tenant based solely on where his or her income comes from, even when the applicant can lawfully pay the requested rent.

Authored by: SouthCoast Fair Housing
Topics: East Coast, Housing, Low-income, Racial inequalities, Research
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Feb 19, 2019
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Podcast
Community:
Feb 14, 2019
John King served in President Barack Obama’s cabinet as the 10th U.S. Secretary of Education. Secretary King is one of the most prominent voices on the connections between housing policy and education policy, particularly with respect to pervasive socioeconomic and racial segregation. We sat down with Secretary King in Los Angeles to discuss the state of modern-day school and housing segregation, why he prioritized integration while in office, promising practices on both the education and housing fronts, and why education advocates must also be housing advocates. “As citizens, we need to be engaged on the issues that affect the kids and families that we serve,” said Secretary King. “We have to be engaged on housing…We have a responsibility as educators to be engaged across a range of issues.”

Authored by: Opportunity Starts at Home
Topics: Child welfare, Education, Homelessness, Housing, Legislation & Policy, Low-income, Partnerships, Youth
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Feb 19, 2019

Opportunity Starts at Home Interview with Former U.S. Secretary of Education John King

Podcast
Feb 14, 2019
Opportunity Starts at Home
John King served in President Barack Obama’s cabinet as the 10th U.S. Secretary of Education. Secretary King is one of the most prominent voices on the connections between housing policy and education policy, particularly with respect to pervasive socioeconomic and racial segregation.
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News Article
Community:
Feb 8, 2019
The Battered Women’s Shelter in Akron has gotten funding from HUD to cover rent and other living expenses for domestic violence victims after they leave shelters for the past decade. HUD has now approved $1.7 million to be distributed to other Ohio cities for this purpose.

Authored by: Stephanie Warsmith for Akron Beacon Journal/Ohio.com
Topics: Domestic violence, Funding, Homelessness, Housing, Legislation & Policy, Low-income, Midwest
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Feb 19, 2019

HUD leader announces funding expansion at Akron domestic violence shelter

News Article
Feb 8, 2019
Stephanie Warsmith for Akron Beacon Journal/Ohio.com
The Battered Women’s Shelter in Akron has gotten funding from HUD to cover rent and other living expenses for domestic violence victims after they leave shelters for the past decade. HUD has now approved $1.7 million to be distributed to other Ohio cities for this purpose.
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Interactive
Community:
More tan 1.3 million homeless students K-12 have been identified in America's public schools.

Authored by: SchoolHouse Connection, Civic Enterprises, America's Promise Alliance, and Institute for Children, Poverty and Homelessness
Topics: Child welfare, Education, Homelessness, Housing, Legislation & Policy, Low-income, Youth
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Feb 14, 2019
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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 12, 2019
As the previous shutdown lingered, officials worried what running out of money could mean for 1.1 million low-income households.

Authored by: Amanda Abrams for yes!
Topics: CLPHA, Funding, Housing, Legislation & Policy, Low-income
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Feb 14, 2019
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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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Research
Community:
Feb 5, 2019
Baltimore is the 30th-largest US city by population and is a study in contrasts. It has a low average income compared with other wealthy Northeast cities, has nine colleges and universities, and is a magnet for people pursuing higher education but has undergone decades of population loss. A large social sector provides important services to residents and buoys the local economy: nearly every third job in the city is with a nonprofit employer. But this also illustrates the city’s limited economic vibrancy. This mix of market and nonmarket forces makes Baltimore an important place to examine the geography of opportunity in an American city.

Authored by: The Urban Institute
Topics: Community development, East Coast, Housing, Low-income, Racial inequalities, Research
Shared by Housing Is on Feb 14, 2019

"The Black Butterfly:" Racial Segregation and Investment Patterns in Baltimore

Research
Feb 5, 2019
The Urban Institute
Baltimore is the 30th-largest US city by population and is a study in contrasts. It has a low average income compared with other wealthy Northeast cities, has nine colleges and universities, and is a magnet for people pursuing higher education but has undergone decades of population loss.
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Webinar
Community:
Feb 12, 2019
During CLPHA’s Education Working Group Webinar on addressing school attendance at PHAs, representatives from the King County Housing Authority and the national nonprofit Attendance Works presented on tools for addressing chronic absenteeism, as well as strategies for fostering a culture of attendance among residents.

Authored by: CLPHA, Housing Is
Topics: Attendance, CLPHA, Dual-generation, Education, Housing, Housing Is Working Group, Low-income, Metrics, Partnerships, Place-based
Shared by Housing Is on Feb 12, 2019
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News Article
Community:
Jan 30, 2019
FRESNO COUNTY, California - Research shows that a child's enviornment, where they live, can have a huge impact on the outcome of their education. We take a look at how Fresno County's philosophy about public housing is having a positive impact on families.

Authored by: Juanita Stevenson for yourvalley.com
Topics: Broadband, CLPHA, Education, Housing, Low-income, Out-of-school time, Research, Youth
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Feb 11, 2019

Inspiring the Valley: Positive changes in public housing creates a 'transformative' environment

News Article
Jan 30, 2019
Juanita Stevenson for yourvalley.com
FRESNO COUNTY, California - Research shows that a child's enviornment, where they live, can have a huge impact on the outcome of their education. We take a look at how Fresno County's philosophy about public housing is having a positive impact on families.
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Publication
Community:
Jan 18, 2019
The State of Arizona’s Medicaid agency (AHCCCS) recognizes the vital importance of safe, decent and affordable housing to health. With a portfolio of over 3,000 units of affordable housing for Medicaid members with a determination of serious mental illness (SMI) and/or substance use disorder, housing is a major component of how the State of Arizona assists those trying to recover and stabilize.

Authored by: Josh Crites for The Journal of Housing & Community Development
Topics: Health, Housing, Low-income, Medicaid / Medicare, Partnerships, Place-based
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Feb 7, 2019
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News Article
Community:
Feb 4, 2019
Officials celebrated clearing the encampments, one of the top goals of the Philadelphia Resilience Project, the city’s emergency plan for Kensington. But, they said, it’s only the beginning of the larger effort to help people in addiction and heal a neighborhood ravaged by opioids.

Authored by: Joel Wolfram for WHYY
Topics: Homelessness, Housing, Legislation & Policy, Low-income, Substance abuse
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Feb 7, 2019

With Kensington's encampments gone, work to end opioid-related homelessness is just beginning

News Article
Feb 4, 2019
Joel Wolfram for WHYY
Officials celebrated clearing the encampments, one of the top goals of the Philadelphia Resilience Project, the city’s emergency plan for Kensington. But, they said, it’s only the beginning of the larger effort to help people in addiction and heal a neighborhood ravaged by opioids.
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Interactive
Community:
The map focuses on four critical areas of policy: protections against source-of-income discrimination, the regulation of short-term rentals, inclusionary housing programs, and rent control. The rising tide of state preemption detailed in this tool makes it clear that local initiatives and innovation are being blocked when the need for affordable housing and creativity in advancing inclusion is most needed.

Authored by: Poverty and Race Research Action Council
Topics: Housing, Legislation & Policy, Low-income, Racial inequalities, Research
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Jan 31, 2019
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Publication
Community:
Evidence shows that retrofitting the entire stock of multifamily apartment buildings in the United States could save tenants and property owners $8 billion a year in energy costs and reduce electricity consumption by almost 15 percent. Amid the rising cost of housing, energy efficiency upgrades can provide much-needed relief to low-income families and help keep rental stock affordable, but few documented examples showcase the benefits of energy retrofits in multifamily housing. Addressing this gap, this study measures the impact of a collaborative energy efficiency program in Orlando, Florida, analyzing energy costs before and after retrofits in four multifamily apartment complexes.

Authored by: Nicholas Taylor, Jennison Searcy, and Pierce Jones for Energy Efficiency
Topics: Energy, Housing, Low-income, Research, Sustainability
Shared by Housing Is on Jan 31, 2019

Energy Efficiency Upgrades Can Help Multifamily Housing Remain Affordable

Publication
Nicholas Taylor, Jennison Searcy, and Pierce Jones for Energy Efficiency
Evidence shows that retrofitting the entire stock of multifamily apartment buildings in the United States could save tenants and property owners $8 billion a year in energy costs and reduce electricity consumption by almost 15 percent.
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News Article
Community:
Jan 30, 2019
Housing subsidies are one of the fastest ways to get a homeless person off the street or to prevent someone from becoming homeless in the first place. Federal subsidies — dispensed through Section 8 vouchers and other forms of aid for renters — use public dollars to make up the difference between what a person can afford to pay for an apartment and what landlords typically charge for one. They’re an essential tool to help Los Angeles end its homeless crisis. But there is a problem: A growing number of landlords won’t even considering leasing to tenants with vouchers or other forms of government rental assistance.

Authored by: Editorial Board for The Los Angeles Times
Topics: Homelessness, Housing, Legislation & Policy, Low-income, Mobility, West Coast
Shared by Housing Is on Jan 30, 2019
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Policy Brief
Community:
Jan 30, 2019
NLIHC stands ready to work with all members of Congress to seize the opportunity to address the full scope of affordable housing challenges for families with the greatest needs. In the memorandum below, we provide our recommendations on steps Congress can take—whether through an infrastructure spending package, the appropriations process, housing finance reform, or other legislative avenues—to make the critical investments in the affordable housing our nation needs to help the economy, our communities, children and families thrive.

Authored by: National Low Income Housing Coalition
Topics: Child welfare, Community development, Criminal justice, Funding, Homelessness, Housing, Legislation & Policy, Low-income, Mobility, Racial inequalities, Safety
Shared by Housing Is on Jan 30, 2019
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Research
Community:
Mar 14, 2017
This brief examines the well-being of young children 20 months after staying in emergency homeless shelters with their families.

Authored by: Office of the Administration for Children & Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Topics: Early childhood, Homelessness, Housing, Literacy, Low-income, Research, School-readiness
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Jan 29, 2019