Welcome to Housing Is, a hub for generating effective programs and sharing innovative ideas.

Sign Up or Sign In
 

THRIVE FROM THE START

Every infant and toddler deserves a safe, stable, and nurturing start in life. That’s why Housing Is has joined forces with  Prevent Child Abuse America, SchoolHouse Connection, and ZERO TO THREE to launch Thrive From The Start—a cross-sector effort dedicated to addressing homelessness among infants, toddlers, and expectant parents. Visit thrivefromthestart.org to learn more and explore how you can be a part of the solution. 

Learn More
 

Housing Is Working Group 2024-2025 Calendar

Join the Housing Is Working Group to discuss special topics related to cross-sector initiatives and programmatic considerations particularly focused on the intersections of housing, health, and education.

This year’s public webinars cover topics such as child welfare and housing, leveraging Medicaid resources for housing services, out-of-school time, and digital connectivity in a post-ACP world. 

View Calendar
 
0
0
0
0
Policy Brief
Community:
Jan 15, 2025
The Children’s Partnership’s newly released policy brief, “Uplifting the Power of Culture: Protective Factors for the Health of California’s Children,” emphasizes how culturally grounded protective factors in early childhood can create equitable pathways to health and success for BIPOC children. By centering these factors in early childhood programs, California can help ensure that all children—especially those from marginalized communities—have the support they need to thrive. Access the brief here.

Authored by: Children’s Partnership
Topics: Child welfare, Data sharing, Research
Shared by Housing Is on Jan 29, 2025

Uplifting the Power of Culture: Protective Factors for the Health of California’s Children

Policy Brief
Jan 15, 2025
Children’s Partnership
The Children’s Partnership’s newly released policy brief, “Uplifting the Power of Culture: Protective Factors for the Health of California’s Children,” emphasizes how culturally grounded protective factors in early childhood can create equitable pathways to health and success for BIPOC children.
0
0
0
0
Publication
Community:
Jan 18, 2024
Marjorie Sims, Sarah Haight January 2024 Focused on the 23,306 young parents (ages 18 to 24) and their families in New Mexico, this report provides a framework for organizations in New Mexico to collaborate more effectively and offers a plan of action to assess these efforts and strengthen impact for families. This publication aims to deepen understanding about the demographics, aspirations, and needs of young parents; highlights practices and policies aligned with a two-generation (2Gen) approach; showcases opportunities to streamline this work by forging connections between organizations and state systems; and offers recommendations across sectors and at all levels. Suggested Reference: Suggested Reference: Sims, M. & Haight, S. (2024). Meeting Young Parents Where They Dream: A Collaborative Framework for a 2Gen Approach in New Mexico. Washington, DC.

Authored by: Marjorie Sims, Sarah Haight
Topics: Child welfare, Dual-generation, dual-generation initiative, Early childhood, Family engagement, Healthy homes, Housing
Shared by Molli Caite Hughes on Jan 18, 2024

Meeting Young Parents Where They Dream: A Collaborative Framework for a 2Gen Approach in New Mexico

Publication
Jan 18, 2024
Marjorie Sims, Sarah Haight
Marjorie Sims, Sarah Haight January 2024 Focused on the 23,306 young parents (ages 18 to 24) and their families in New Mexico, this report provides a framework for organizations in New Mexico to collaborate more effectively and offers a plan of action to assess these efforts and strengthen impact
0
0
0
0
Report
Community:
Sep 22, 2022
New research from Urban Institute housing experts explores the characteristics of youth and young adults living in federally assisted housing and the neighborhoods in which they live. Stable housing is essential for young people as they transition from adolescence to adulthood, and public housing agencies often play a critical role in providing them with affordable homes. In 2021 alone, 755,000 youth (people ages 14 to 18) and 513,000 young adults (people ages 19 to 25) received federal housing assistance. Youth and young adult heads of household in federally assisted housing tend to have extremely low incomes. They are less likely to live in metropolitan areas, and 11 percent were experiencing homelessness at the time of their admission into housing. Little information is available about these young people and their experiences accessing stable and affordable housing, and this brief demonstrates that more work must be done to guide service providers, advocates, and policymakers to strengthen supports and services. If you have questions or would like to speak with the research team, please email me at aelsbree@urban.org.

Authored by: Olivia Fiol, Matthew Gerken, Susan J. Popkin, and Abby Boshart for THE URBAN INSTITUTE
Topics: Child welfare, Housing, Stability, Youth
Shared by Sandra Ware on Oct 4, 2022
0
0
0
0
Report
Community:
Jun 29, 2022
Looking largely at the 2020-2021 school year, the report is chock-full of information about how schools apply research-based strategies in a variety of different contexts – from very different school systems across multiple states – to make research translate into positive experiences and outcomes for students and their teachers in three critical areas: • Instructional work, where math or English-language-arts teams, including instructional coaches, special-education teachers, and English learner/multilingual teachers, work to improve the quality of instruction within classrooms. • Early Warning and Response strategies, where grade-level or cross-functional teams work to create more supportive school environments, where young people are connected to adults, each other, and the school community. • Well-Matched Postsecondary initiatives, where school-based teams of counselors, service providers, district and school leaders, teachers, and other staff band together to implement evidence-based strategies and processes that support postsecondary application, enrollment, and persistence. At its heart, improvement is about learning. Each of these networks study their own work, and consistently and strategically make adaptations to increase their effectiveness as the organizational hub supporting schools. And they demonstrate how lessons need not fade away, but when codified, systematized, and shared, they can deepen our collective capacity to accelerate the field’s learning and growth.

Authored by:
Topics: Advocacy, Attendance, Child welfare, CLPHA, Community development, Education, Grade-level proficiency, Housing, Literacy, Low-income, Partnerships, Place-based, Supportive housing, Sustainability, Youth
Shared by Karina George on Jun 29, 2022
0
0
0
0
Video
Community:
Jun 17, 2022
The Low Income Investment Fund (LIIF) will moderate a unique cross-sector panel of housing and early care and education (ECE) experts on strategies and best practices for co-locating ECE facilities within affordable housing developments. Discussion of specific financing techniques and site design considerations from existing co-located facilities will provide attendees lessons on policy and programmatic changes needed to incentivize co-location. Panelists include innovators in affordable housing development, government and public sectors, early care and education operations, and community development finance.

Authored by:
Topics: Advocacy, Broadband, Child welfare, CLPHA, Family engagement, Food insecurity, Health, Housing, Legislation & Policy, Low-income, Nutrition, School-readiness, Supportive housing, Sustainability
Shared by Karina George on Jun 17, 2022
0
0
0
0
Video
Community:
May 18, 2021
After over a year of remote learning, everything is out-of-school time at this point. With unknowns about vaccinations for children, communities should prepare for uneven plans across communities for summer and fall 2021. This discussion session focuses on capacity: how to support virtual and hybrid learning, how to counter learning loss, supporting parent engagement, supporting staff to support parents, providing adult socio-emotional learning, and providing connection to services. Panelists will share examples from on the ground, toolkits, and other resources, while also allowing time for small group discussion to share challenges and troubleshoot solutions.

Authored by: CLPHA
Topics: Attendance, Child welfare, Community development, Early childhood, Education, Grade-level proficiency, Out-of-school time, School-readiness, Youth
Shared by Housing Is on May 18, 2021
0
0
0
0
Policy Brief
Community: Postsecondary
Nov 1, 2020
Colleges support students with advising, counseling, or coaching in academics and other skills they need to succeed in school. Some colleges enhance those services through reduced adviser caseloads and more comprehensive, frequent guidance, which can improve students’ semester-to-semester retention and average credits earned. This overview describes important lessons on designing and implementing those services. College leaders and administrators committed to designing, building, managing, and continually supporting enhanced advising services can consult this checklist of recommendations as they redesign or enhance these services — as stand-alone services or as part of multifaceted interventions.

Authored by: Andrea Vasquez & Susan Scrivener for MDRC
Topics: Attendance, Child welfare, Community development, Education, Grade-level proficiency, Post-secondary, Workforce development
Shared by Housing Is on Mar 4, 2021
0
0
0
0
Report
Community: Youth
Dec 1, 2020
420,000. Based on the new report, "Lost in the Masked Shuffle & Virtual Void: Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness Amidst the Pandemic" from SchoolHouse Connection and Poverty Solutions at the University of Michigan, that’s how many fewer children and youth experiencing homelessness have been identified and enrolled by schools so far this school year. According to our data and insights - gathered from educators and homeless liaisons across 49 states - the number of children, youth, and families experiencing homelessness has likely increased due to the economic crisis. Yet, because of COVID-19 challenges in identifying children and youth experiencing homelessness, hundreds of thousands may not be getting the education and support they need - from internet access, to housing, to food, to child care. What’s more, only 18% of respondents indicated that federal coronavirus relief education funding provided by the CARES Act is being used to meet the needs of students experiencing homelessness. To break generational cycles of homelessness, we must take swift action to support the increasing number of children, youth, and families in need. Check out our report to learn more and take action. We have included recommendations for Congressional leaders, state and local educational agencies, homeless, housing, food, and other relief agencies, and philanthropic organizations.

Authored by: Poverty Solutions at THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN & SCHOOLHOUSE CONNECTION
Topics: Attendance, Child welfare, Early childhood, Education, Funding, Health, Homelessness, Low-income, Stability, Youth
Shared by Housing Is on Dec 1, 2020
0
0
0
0
News Article
Community: Youth
Feb 1, 2018
Chicago’s troubling homicide rate could be significantly reduced through a massive increase in state spending for Chicago schools. That's just one of the proposals floated Monday by a prominent University of Chicago economist Jens Ludwig. With a substantial commitment, he says homicides could be reduced by nearly 60 percent. Illinois is dead last when it comes to the percentage of education dollars provided by the state to its cities. Ludwig believes adding $1.7 billion dollars would not only bring Illinois up to the national average, but could substantially reduce gun violence as well. Given the social science evidence on the link between high school graduation and gun violence, that would be about a 30 percent decrease in the homicide rates in the city of Chicago for something that has absolutely nothing to do with the city of Chicago policies.

Authored by: FOX 32 CHICAGO
Topics: Child welfare, Community development, Education, Funding, Legislation & Policy, Preventative care, Youth
Shared by Housing Is on Oct 15, 2020
0
0
0
0
News Article
Community: Youth
Jun 29, 2017
One Summer Chicago Plus is a jobs program designed to reduce violence and prepare youth living in some of the city’s highest-violence neighborhoods for the labor market. This study was carried out over the summer of 2013 in partnership with the Chicago Department of Family and Support Services. It found that the program, which provided a six-week, minimum-wage job for 25 hours a week, reduced the number of violent-crime arrests for participants by 33 percent over the subsequent year. The One Summer Chicago Plus 2013 study—accompanied by a long-term follow-up of the 2012 program—closely examines the two to three years following the six-week program and finds that the reduction in violent-crime arrests is not driven simply by keeping participants off the streets during the summer. In fact, the decline in violence remains significant when the summer is ignored entirely. Researchers did find, however, that the program had no significant impacts on schooling outcomes or engagement, nor did it have a positive impact on formal labor sector employment for all of the participants after the fact. The authors do note that it is possible that significant labor market effects will develop past the three-year window examined in the study.

Authored by: UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO URBAN LABS
Topics: Child welfare, Community development, Criminal justice, Out-of-school time, Partnerships, Preventative care, Safety, Youth
Shared by Housing Is on Oct 15, 2020

Chicago jobs program reduces youth violence, Urban Labs study shows

News Article
Jun 29, 2017
UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO URBAN LABS
One Summer Chicago Plus is a jobs program designed to reduce violence and prepare youth living in some of the city’s highest-violence neighborhoods for the labor market. This study was carried out over the summer of 2013 in partnership with the Chicago Department of Family and Support Services.
0
0
0
0
Report
Community:
Nov 7, 2019
How Housing Programs Can Support the Educational Needs of Children Living in Publicly Supported Homes

Authored by: Public and Affordable Housing Research Corporation
Topics: Attendance, Broadband, Child welfare, Early childhood, Health, Housing, Literacy, Low-income, Out-of-school time, Partnerships, Place-based, Research, School-readiness
Shared by Kelly McElwain on Nov 7, 2019
0
0
0
0
News Article
Community:
Jun 12, 2019
About half of the student body at one Ohio elementary school has witnessed drug use at home. Educators spend time every day teaching the children how to cope.

Authored by: Dan Levin for The New York Times
Topics: Child welfare, Early childhood, Education, Health, Substance abuse, Youth
Shared by Housing Is on Jun 13, 2019
0
0
0
0
Publication
Community:
Jun 11, 2019
The Trump Administration is publicly weighing plans to gradually lower the official poverty line by applying a smaller cost-of-living adjustment each year. Doing so would be unjustified for several reasons.

Authored by: Arloc Sherman and Paul Van de Water for The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
Topics: Child welfare, Food insecurity, Legislation & Policy, Low-income, Nutrition, Stability
Shared by Housing Is on Jun 11, 2019

Reducing Cost-of-Living Adjustment Would Make Poverty Line a Less Accurate Measure of Basic Needs

Publication
Jun 11, 2019
Arloc Sherman and Paul Van de Water for The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
The Trump Administration is publicly weighing plans to gradually lower the official poverty line by applying a smaller cost-of-living adjustment each year. Doing so would be unjustified for several reasons.
0
0
0
0
News Article
Community:
Jun 5, 2019
In the United States, more than 2.7 million grandparents report that they’re primarily responsible for their grandchildren under 18. The problem is many are struggling with food insecurity because of federal rules and regulations.

Authored by: Marie C. Gualtieri for Next Avenue
Topics: Child welfare, Food insecurity, Legislation & Policy, Low-income, Nutrition
Shared by Housing Is on Jun 11, 2019
0
0
0
0
Report
Community:
May 1, 2019
Community eligibility allows high-poverty schools and school districts to offer free meals to all students, and it eliminates the need for household school meal applications. A key piece of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, community eligibility was phased in a few states at a time before it was made available to schools nationwide in the 2014–2015 school year.

Authored by: Food Research & Action Center (FRAC)
Topics: Child welfare, Education, Food insecurity, Legislation & Policy, Low-income, Nutrition, Out-of-school time, Research
Shared by Housing Is on Jun 3, 2019
0
0
0
0
Research
Community:
May 30, 2019
Children experiencing homelessness or living in inadequate and unstable housing are exposed to many risks, including a heightened threat of involvement with the child welfare system. Can child welfare agencies play a role in addressing the lack of affordable housing? What if providing housing, plus other supportive services, could prevent out-of-home placements to foster care? What if, for those children already in foster care, it could help them reunify with their parents?

Authored by: Mary K. Cunningham, Mike Pergamit, and Sarah Gillespie for The Urban Institute
Topics: Child welfare, Research, Stability, Supportive housing
Shared by Housing Is on May 30, 2019

Supportive Housing Can Help Keep Families Together

Research
May 30, 2019
Mary K. Cunningham, Mike Pergamit, and Sarah Gillespie for The Urban Institute
Children experiencing homelessness or living in inadequate and unstable housing are exposed to many risks, including a heightened threat of involvement with the child welfare system. Can child welfare agencies play a role in addressing the lack of affordable housing?
0
0
0
0
Report
Community:
Apr 25, 2019
Access to affordable child care can be a major barrier for low-income parents who want to participate in education and training activities to gain skills or obtain employment. Child care assistance from the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF), the federal block grant that funds states to provide child care assistance to low-income families, can help alleviate this barrier and make it easier for low-income parents to participate in activities that improve their skills and lead to stable employment with adequate pay. However, the CCDF eligibility requirements and priorities for service are set at the state level, and states make different decisions about how to allocate scarce CCDF resources, so access to and use of CCDF subsidies for parents seeking education and training varies across states.

Authored by: Semhar Gebrekristos and Gina Adams for The Urban Institute
Topics: Child welfare, Early childhood, Education, Legislation & Policy, Post-secondary, Research, Workforce development
Shared by Housing Is on May 30, 2019
0
0
0
0
News Article
Community:
Mar 18, 2019
It’s a prescription guaranteed to develop healthy brains, refine motor skills and prepare kids for school, doctors say. But few parents expect a physician to hand their children a book at their first wellness checkup at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus.

Authored by: Alissa Widman Neese for The Columbus Dispatch
Topics: Child welfare, Early childhood, Education, Health, Literacy, Low-income, Partnerships
Shared by Housing Is on May 30, 2019

Children's books handed out in medical offices to introduce kids to reading

News Article
Mar 18, 2019
Alissa Widman Neese for The Columbus Dispatch
It’s a prescription guaranteed to develop healthy brains, refine motor skills and prepare kids for school, doctors say. But few parents expect a physician to hand their children a book at their first wellness checkup at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus.
0
0
0
0
Report
Community:
May 1, 2019
Child poverty is an urgent and preventable crisis. Solutions to child poverty already exist if we just expand and invest in them. Benefits like nutrition assistance, housing vouchers and tax credits helped lift nearly 7 million children out of poverty in 2017, but millions of children were left behind due to inadequate funding, eligibility restrictions and low wages. We can and must fix these problems to help more children escape poverty now.

Authored by: Children's Defense Fund
Topics: Child welfare, Dual-generation, Early childhood, Food insecurity, Funding, Housing, Legislation & Policy, Low-income, Research, Workforce development
Shared by Housing Is on May 28, 2019
0
0
0
0
Video
Community:
May 24, 2019
A landmark National Academies of Sciences report commissioned by Congress concludes that childhood poverty in the U.S. could be cut in half within a decade with appropriate action. The report culls through the existing evidence-base to identify the most impactful existing policies including the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and housing assistance. This panel will also discuss promising new policies that if enacted could help reduce poverty such as the child allowance.

Authored by: Housing Is, CLPHA
Topics: Child welfare, CLPHA, Housing, Legislation & Policy, Low-income, Partnerships, Research
Shared by Housing Is on May 24, 2019
0
0
0
0
Video
Community:
May 24, 2019
Congresswoman Barbara Lee, long-serving progressive leader and member of the Budget and Appropriations Committee, and Co-Chair of the Democratic Policy and Steering Committee, will give remarks on congressional efforts to reduce child poverty.

Authored by: Housing Is, CLPHA
Topics: Child welfare, CLPHA, Legislation & Policy, Low-income, Partnerships
Shared by Housing Is on May 24, 2019
0
0
0
0
Research
Community:
Early childhood education programs can impact life outcomes in ways that span generations, according to new research from Nobel laureate James Heckman. In a pair of companion papers released this week, the pioneering University of Chicago economist found that the children of those who participated in a landmark 1960s study still saw improvements in education, health and employment. The children saw such benefits without participating in the same preschool program as their parents—suggesting that early education can contribute to lasting upward mobility and help break cycles of poverty

Authored by: Professor James Heckman and Ganesh Karapakula
Topics: Child welfare, Dual-generation, Early childhood, Family engagement, Research
Shared by Housing Is on May 21, 2019
0
0
0
0
Webinar
Community:
Explains the provisions in the Family First Prevention Services Act related to reducing reliance on congregate care and explores approaches to achieve this goal. This webinar includes a summary of the provisions and examples from agencies that have successfully reduced the number of children in group care. Presenters from child welfare agencies in Connecticut and Oklahoma share strategies used to increase the number of children who safely remain with their families or in the least restrictive, most family-like setting.

Authored by: Child Welfare Capacity Building Collaborative (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families)
Topics: Child welfare, Foster care, Youth
Shared by Housing Is on May 21, 2019
0
0
0
0
Report
Community:
Dec 11, 2018
This report highlights the development and implementation of a mentoring program for college students in foster care in New York City through a strategic partnership that was forged among New York City’s Administration for Children’s Services, Goldman Sachs and Casey Family Programs. The program is designed to expose youth to professional and experiential opportunities through a series of one-on-one meetings and group workshops. Students have the opportunity to become familiar with the Goldman Sachs corporate environment, understand various business sectors and explore the roles and responsibilities of different jobs, as well as receive hands-on support with job applications and interviewing.

Authored by: Casey Family Programs
Topics: Child welfare, Foster care, Partnerships, Research, Workforce development, Youth
Shared by Housing Is on May 21, 2019

A public-private mentoring partnership to build a better tomorrow for youth in foster care

Report
Dec 11, 2018
Casey Family Programs
This report highlights the development and implementation of a mentoring program for college students in foster care in New York City through a strategic partnership that was forged among New York City’s Administration for Children’s Services, Goldman Sachs and Casey Family Programs.
0
0
0
0
Publication
Community:
May 14, 2019
For many students experiencing homelessness, school is the only place of stability in their lives. Teachers play a crucial role in creating a classroom environment that is safe and supportive for all students, especially those who are highly mobile and have experienced the trauma that often accompanies homelessness. Here, we provide information and strategies that teachers and support staff can use to support the educational success of students experiencing homelessness.

Authored by: SchoolHouse Connection
Topics: Child welfare, Education, Homelessness, Housing
Shared by Housing Is on May 15, 2019