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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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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
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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.
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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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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
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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
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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
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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.
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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.
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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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Publication
Community:
To help support this infrastructure, public health should more widely use de-identification to make more timely, reliable, sub-county and actionable data available. Understanding the benefits of utilizing de-identified data and the mechanics of disclosing it are matters of national priority. The De-Identification Toolkit is intended for a broad audience of health officials, community organizations, privacy officers, public health practitioners, data managers and their attorneys.

Authored by: The Network for Public Health Law
Topics: Data sharing, Health, Partnerships
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Feb 20, 2019

De-Identification is an Important Tool to Make Data Available to Communities

Publication
The Network for Public Health Law
To help support this infrastructure, public health should more widely use de-identification to make more timely, reliable, sub-county and actionable data available. Understanding the benefits of utilizing de-identified data and the mechanics of disclosing it are matters of national priority.
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Publication
Community:
Jan 1, 2019
The purpose of this guide is to provide interested health departments with the key components to consider before planning the Foundational Public Health Services (FPHS) implementation process. It is based on learnings from four states that have been implementing this work, with support from the Public Health National Center for Innovations (PHNCI), over the past several years.

Authored by: Public Health National Center for Innovations (PHNCI)
Topics: Data sharing, Health, Partnerships
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Feb 20, 2019

FPHS Planning Guide: Using Foundational Public Health Services to Transform Public Health

Publication
Jan 1, 2019
Public Health National Center for Innovations (PHNCI)
The purpose of this guide is to provide interested health departments with the key components to consider before planning the Foundational Public Health Services (FPHS) implementation process.
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Publication
Community:
Jan 17, 2019
The North Coast Health Improvement and Information Network (NCHIIN) was funded by DASH CIC-START to add new partners, sectors, mental health client summary data, and facility alerts to ACT.md, the care coordination and alerts notification system in Humboldt County, CA. As part of their CIC-START project, NCHIIN developed this document, which provides a methodology for onboarding new organizations, data streams, and sectors into the ACT.md platform.

Authored by: Data Across Sectors for Health (DASH)
Topics: Criminal justice, Data sharing, Health, Mental health, Partnerships, Substance abuse
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Feb 20, 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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Publication
Community:
Jan 15, 2019
Zoning, a topic usually buried in the real estate sections of local newspapers or debated at community planning meetings, has recently taken the national stage. Zoning figures prominently in the debates over the value that Amazon HQ2 will deliver to Arlington, Virginia, and New York City, while coverage of the affordable housing crisis in states like California blames local zoning restrictions. Cities like Minneapolis, which is radically rewriting its zoning codes, are being hailed as national models.

Authored by: Graham MacDonald, Solomon Greene, and Emma Nechamkin for the Urban Institute
Topics: Community development, Housing, Legislation & Policy, Research
Shared by Housing Is on Feb 14, 2019
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Research
Community:
Jan 10, 2019
Local officials, impact investors, and philanthropy have important roles to play in helping communities access Opportunity Zone financing that benefits current residents, especially those with low or moderate incomes. Using Chicago and Cook County as a case study, we identify steps these actors can take to attract helpful, and limit harmful, investments. We find that the Opportunity Zones selected in Chicago and Cook County broadly fulfilled the incentive’s spirit, targeting areas that were more economically distressed. Going forward, it will be necessary to leverage available policy and philanthropic levers to compel private action in line with community interests.

Authored by: Brett Theodos and Brady Meixell for the Urban Institute
Topics: Community development, Funding, Housing, Legislation & Policy, Midwest, Place-based, Research
Shared by Housing Is on Feb 14, 2019

How Chicago and Cook County Can Leverage Opportunity Zones for Community Benefit

Research
Jan 10, 2019
Brett Theodos and Brady Meixell for the Urban Institute
Local officials, impact investors, and philanthropy have important roles to play in helping communities access Opportunity Zone financing that benefits current residents, especially those with low or moderate incomes.
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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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Publication
Community:
Feb 1, 2019
While there are many examples of small-scale programs that have integrated care and financing for Medicare-Medicaid eligible individuals, implementation at large scale has been elusive, often limited by concerns that savings will not materialize. The Medicare-Medicaid Coordination Office with its Financial Alignment Demonstration was specifically created to allow states to step forward and develop models that could substantially improve care for beneficiaries while delivering savings to states and the federal programs.We are now six years into this audacious set of pilots, which involve 12 states and nearly 440,000 people.

Authored by: Bruce A. Chernof for Milbank Memorial Fund
Topics: Health, Legislation & Policy, Low-income, Medicaid / Medicare, Research
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Feb 7, 2019

Integrating Medicare and Medicaid: Success to Date, Lessons Learned, and the Road Ahead

Publication
Feb 1, 2019
Bruce A. Chernof for Milbank Memorial Fund
While there are many examples of small-scale programs that have integrated care and financing for Medicare-Medicaid eligible individuals, implementation at large scale has been elusive, often limited by concerns that savings will not materialize.
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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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Research
Community:
Feb 6, 2019
Research suggests that living in concentrated poverty is harmful to health, well-being, and economic mobility. Inclusionary zoning can break up poverty density by imposing legal requirements to create affordable housing across neighborhoods. In Montgomery County, Maryland, inclusionary zoning laws require developers to set aside 12 to 15 percent of new homes at below-market rates and allow the public housing authority to purchase a portion of these units. As a result, two-thirds of public housing residents in Montgomery County live in economically diverse, low-poverty neighborhoods. To assess the effects of these unique conditions, researchers explored how public housing residents’ social networks, neighborhood perceptions, and health outcomes differ based on their placement in mixed-income communities or traditionally clustered public housing.

Authored by: Heather Schwartz, Susan Burkhauser, Beth Ann Griffin, David Kennedy, Harold Green Jr., Alene Kennedy-Hendricks, and Craig Pollack for Housing Policy Debate, How Housing Matters
Topics: Community development, Housing, Mental health, Place-based, Research
Shared by Housing Is on Feb 7, 2019

Inclusionary Zoning Can Improve Outcomes for Public Housing Residents

Research
Feb 6, 2019
Heather Schwartz, Susan Burkhauser, Beth Ann Griffin, David Kennedy, Harold Green Jr., Alene Kennedy-Hendricks, and Craig Pollack for Housing Policy Debate, How Housing Matters
Research suggests that living in concentrated poverty is harmful to health, well-being, and economic mobility. Inclusionary zoning can break up poverty density by imposing legal requirements to create affordable housing across neighborhoods.
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Publication
Community:
Feb 6, 2019
Decent, stable, and affordable rental housing has the power to improve lives, yet background checks and other systemic barriers reduce housing access and stability for a large part of the population—people who have been arrested or who are reentering communities after incarceration. The number of people who can be shut out of rental housing by criminal background checks and related policies calls for a national and local conversation about evidence-based ways to balance public safety and cohesion goals while supporting people with justice system histories in finding stable housing. Achieving this balance could interrupt cycles of inequity.

Authored by: Veronica Gaitan and Maya Brennan for How Housing Matters, Urban Institute
Topics: Criminal justice, Homelessness, Housing
Shared by Housing Is on Feb 7, 2019

For Reentry Success and Beyond, Rental Housing Access Matters

Publication
Feb 6, 2019
Veronica Gaitan and Maya Brennan for How Housing Matters, Urban Institute
Decent, stable, and affordable rental housing has the power to improve lives, yet background checks and other systemic barriers reduce housing access and stability for a large part of the population—people who have been arrested or who are reentering communities after incarceration.
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Publication
Community:
Build success with effective enforcement. Someone who smokes where smoking is prohibited is violating the policy. Enforcement of the smoke-free policy is similar to enforcement of other building policies, like noise or pet restrictions. Be consistent, fair, positive, and pragmatic.

Authored by: Building Success
Topics: Health, Housing, Legislation & Policy, Smoke-free
Shared by Housing Is on Feb 4, 2019
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Publication
Community:
Build success by helping smokers comply with the policy. Some residents who smoke may not be ready or able to stop smoking, but you can work with them to help them comply with the policy. Showing compassion to residents facing barriers to compliance may increase acceptance of the policy and willingness to comply.

Authored by: Building Success
Topics: Health, Housing, Legislation & Policy, Smoke-free
Shared by Housing Is on Feb 4, 2019
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Publication
Community:
Build success by supporting cessation among smokers for whom a smoke-free housing policy may provide motivation to quit.

Authored by: Building Success
Topics: Health, Housing, Legislation & Policy, Smoke-free
Shared by Housing Is on Feb 4, 2019