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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:
Dec 5, 2018
Nearly 80 fair housing groups will be receiving federal funding to fight discrimination, the Department of Housing and Urban Development announced this week.

Authored by: Ben Lane for HousingWire
Topics: Funding, Housing, Legislation & Policy, Racial inequalities
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Dec 10, 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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Research
Community:
Dec 5, 2018
How does the quality of where we live affect our children’s development? The impact of housing and neighborhood quality on physical health has long been studied in the public health field, but studies that aim to assess those same impacts on mental health are less common. This study examined the relationship between the physical quality of housing and neighborhoods and their interactive effect on the mental health and motivation of children from elementary school through young adulthood.

Authored by: Journal of Environmental Psychology
Topics: Child welfare, Community development, Housing, Low-income, Mental health, Racial inequalities, Research, Youth
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Dec 6, 2018

How Housing and Neighborhood Quality Affect Children's Mental Health

Research
Dec 5, 2018
Journal of Environmental Psychology
How does the quality of where we live affect our children’s development? The impact of housing and neighborhood quality on physical health has long been studied in the public health field, but studies that aim to assess those same impacts on mental health are less common.
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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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News Article
Community:
Nov 30, 2018
Despite their fearsome reputation, a new study finds most low-income housing projects aren't magnets for crime. What makes some more dangerous?

Authored by: Michael Friedrich for CityLab
Topics: Housing, Low-income, Research, Safety
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Nov 30, 2018
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News Article
Community:
Nov 28, 2018
Rock Region Metro has agreed to partner with a coalition of homeless organizations to address what people on the street say is their most vexing barrier to getting a job and, in turn, a home -- access to transportation.

Authored by: Noel Oman for Arkansas Democrat Gazette
Topics: Homelessness, Housing, Low-income, South, Transportation, Workforce development
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Nov 29, 2018

Transit deal to assist homeless in central Arkansas; aim is free rides to work to help get people off streets

News Article
Nov 28, 2018
Noel Oman for Arkansas Democrat Gazette
Rock Region Metro has agreed to partner with a coalition of homeless organizations to address what people on the street say is their most vexing barrier to getting a job and, in turn, a home -- access to transportation.
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Research
Community:
Nov 28, 2018
Public housing residents are more likely than urban residents not living in public housing to have high rates of obesity and smoking and low rates of physical activity. This study assesses whether adding environmental interventions at public housing developments affects residents’ health-related habits and body mass index.

Authored by: BMC Public Health
Topics: Exercise, Health, Housing, Low-income, Obesity, Research
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Nov 29, 2018
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Research
Community:
Nov 9, 2018
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. Using this YRBS data from 17 states (Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Montana, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Wisconsin), we conducted an analysis of differences in seven self-reported risk factors and health outcomes between high school students experiencing homelessness and those not experiencing homelessness. The results were striking and heartbreaking.

Authored by: SchoolHouse Connection
Topics: Health, Homelessness, Housing, Low-income, Metrics, Research, Youth
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Nov 29, 2018

Risk and Resilience: Differences in Risk Factors and Health Outcomes Between Homeless and Non-Homeless Students in 2017 YRBS Data

Research
Nov 9, 2018
SchoolHouse Connection
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.
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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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News Article
Community:
Nov 14, 2018
HHS Secretary Alex Azar on Wednesday said Medicaid may soon allow hospitals and health systems to directly pay for housing, healthy food or other solutions for the "whole person."

Authored by: Paul Barr and Virgil Dickson for Modern Healthcare
Topics: Health, Housing, Legislation & Policy, Medicaid / Medicare, Mental health, Preventative care
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Nov 15, 2018
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Research
Community:
Nov 14, 2018
Now that free and reduced price lunch (FRPL) status as an indicator of economic disadvantage is in decline, stakeholders are turning to replacement measures. Given the extent of socioeconomic and racial segregation in most school districts, neighborhood-level measures of economic distress seem like an appealing, easy-to-measure alternative, but this seemingly intuitive solution does a bad job of predicting FRPL rates and performs worse in places where it is more critical to get it right.

Authored by: Tomas Monarrez for The Urban Institute
Topics: Education, Health, Housing, Low-income, Metrics, Place-based, Racial inequalities, Research
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Nov 14, 2018
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Research
Community:
The housing choice voucher program aims to reduce housing cost burdens as well as to enable recipients to move to a broader diversity of neighborhoods. Prior evidence shows voucher recipients still end up in neighborhoods with relatively high poverty rates and low performing schools. These constrained neighborhood choices can in part be attributed to landlord discrimination and the geographic concentration of units that rent below voucher caps. In this paper, we consider an additional explanation: the role of information and social influence in determining the effective set of potential housing choices.

Authored by: Journal of Housing Economics
Topics: Housing, Mobility, Racial inequalities, Research
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Nov 14, 2018

Neighbors and networks: The role of social interactions on the residential choices of housing choice voucher holders

Research
Journal of Housing Economics
The housing choice voucher program aims to reduce housing cost burdens as well as to enable recipients to move to a broader diversity of neighborhoods. Prior evidence shows voucher recipients still end up in neighborhoods with relatively high poverty rates and low performing schools.
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Research
Community:
Nov 7, 2018
Does a screening requirement for homeless families seeking shelter create unintended costs? In 2012, Massachusetts passed a law requiring homeless families seeking shelter to prove that they had recently stayed somewhere not meant for human habitation. Hospital emergency department discharge paperwork can provide such proof. This study explored the trends of emergency department use for shelter by homeless youth before and after the eligibility criteria was passed into law and to measure the financial impact it had on the health care system. Researchers conducted a retrospective analysis of deidentified medical records of homeless children and young adults from birth to age 21 seeking shelter at a pediatric emergency department in Boston from 12 months before the eligibility rule to four years after the rule went into effect. They analyzed the number of visits, length of stay, insurance claims, and hospital charges before and after the policy change. Researchers found a significant increase in emergency department use for homelessness after the policy change. The results indicate that policymakers should consider the potential unintended health care costs of shelter eligibility policies and identify housing strategies that can prevent emergency department visits by families experiencing homelessness.

Authored by: American Journal of Public Health
Topics: Cost effectiveness, East Coast, Health, Homelessness, Housing, Legislation & Policy, Low-income, Research, Youth
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Nov 8, 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 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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News Article
Community:
Nov 1, 2018
Number of homeless vets falls to approximately 38,000, a 5.3% decline since last year and about half the 73,367 veterans tallied in 2009.

Authored by: Ben Kesling for WSJ
Topics: Homelessness, Housing, Legislation & Policy, Low-income, Metrics, Partnerships
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Nov 2, 2018
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News Article
Community:
Nov 1, 2018
Many youth experiencing homelessness report avoiding shelters because they don’t feel safe there or can’t relate to the older adults, but they often don’t have another option. It’s a problem that many jurisdictions are working to correct, understanding that although homeless youth and homeless adults have similar needs, reaching these young people may require different spaces and different strategies.

Authored by: Serena Lei for How Housing Matters
Topics: East Coast, Education, Homelessness, Housing, Low-income, Metrics, Post-secondary, Safety, Youth
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Nov 1, 2018
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Research
Community:
Aug 28, 2018
Current efforts to end homelessness are largely focused on the immediate housing needs of adults. Yet recent research further demonstrates the importance of addressing childhood, early care, and education in efforts to prevent and end homelessness. This blog post summarizes five new studies. Topics include homelessness in the womb and during infancy; the Adverse Childhood Experiences of homeless adults; the employment of families during and after stays in homeless shelters; and the impact of Rapid Rehousing on the education of children and youth experiencing homelessness.

Authored by: SchoolHouse Connection
Topics: Child welfare, Dual-generation, Early childhood, Education, Health, Homelessness, Housing, Low-income, Pre-natal, Research
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Oct 31, 2018

New Research Reinforces Connections Among Homelessness, Childhood, and Education

Research
Aug 28, 2018
SchoolHouse Connection
Current efforts to end homelessness are largely focused on the immediate housing needs of adults. Yet recent research further demonstrates the importance of addressing childhood, early care, and education in efforts to prevent and end homelessness. This blog post summarizes five new studies.
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News Article
Community:
Sep 24, 2018
The Lake County Housing Authority (Ill.) developed a panel discussion where law enforcement officials, government officials, and those in educational leadership positions were asked to participate and to develop a strategy to confront the issue of race relations in the community.

Authored by: Ashanti Wright for Journal of Housing & Community Development
Topics: Housing, Low-income, Partnerships, Racial inequalities
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Oct 30, 2018

A Proactive Conversation on Race

News Article
Sep 24, 2018
Ashanti Wright for Journal of Housing & Community Development
The Lake County Housing Authority (Ill.) developed a panel discussion where law enforcement officials, government officials, and those in educational leadership positions were asked to participate and to develop a strategy to confront the issue of race relations in the community.
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News Article
Community:
Sep 24, 2018
The Housing Authority of the County of Los Angeles (Calif.) developed an innovative community garden to provide access to affordable and fresh food as well as skills training and job opportunities.

Authored by: Ashanti Wright for Journal of Housing & Community Development
Topics: Community development, Food insecurity, Green, Health, Housing, Low-income, Nutrition, Place-based, Sustainability, Youth
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Oct 30, 2018

The Growing Experience

News Article
Sep 24, 2018
Ashanti Wright for Journal of Housing & Community Development
The Housing Authority of the County of Los Angeles (Calif.) developed an innovative community garden to provide access to affordable and fresh food as well as skills training and job opportunities.
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Research
Community:
Oct 29, 2018
We examine the implementation of a community health worker (CHW) program in subsidized housing, describe needs identified and priorities set by residents, and summarize participant-reported outcomes.

Authored by: New York University School of Medicine, New York University, Henry Street Settlement, New York University School of Medicine
Topics: East Coast, Health, Housing, Low-income, Partnerships, Place-based, Research
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Oct 29, 2018

A Pilot Community Health Worker Program in Subsidized Housing: The Health + Housing Project

Research
Oct 29, 2018
New York University School of Medicine, New York University, Henry Street Settlement, New York University School of Medicine
We examine the implementation of a community health worker (CHW) program in subsidized housing, describe needs identified and priorities set by residents, and summarize participant-reported outcomes.
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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.
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News Article
Community:
Oct 24, 2018
Around the country, there is a growing understanding that survivors of domestic violence often need more than emergency shelter to become safe from violence and establish stable homes. Communities are employing innovative strategies and practices that help address survivors’ unique situations, such as flexible funding and domestic violence rapid re-housing. This momentum is matched by increasing resources from federal, state, and local funders interested in supporting safe housing solutions. But until stakeholders recognize the extent of the need for safe housing, many survivors will continue facing barriers to housing and options for safety.

Authored by: Pef Hacskaylo for How Housing Matters
Topics: Domestic violence, Homelessness, Housing, Legislation & Policy, Partnerships, Safety
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Oct 25, 2018
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News Article
Community:
Oct 16, 2018
Some community colleges have found innovative partnerships with their public housing authorities may help combat student homelessness.

Authored by: Ashley A. Smith for Inside Higher Ed
Topics: Asset building, CLPHA, Education, Homelessness, Housing, Low-income, Midwest, Pacific Northwest, Partnerships, Post-secondary, Stability, Workforce development
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Oct 24, 2018