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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. 

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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
 
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Video
Community:
May 24, 2019
Building Internal PHA Capacity for Cross-Sector Partnerships: How to creatively expand and enhance internal capacity to support cross-sector partnerships.

Authored by: Housing Is, CLPHA
Topics: CLPHA, Education, Health, Housing, Partnerships
Shared by Housing Is on May 24, 2019
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Research
Community:
May 21, 2019
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. SchoolHouse Connection analyzed demographic and risk factor data from the YRBS in 17 states[1], comparing high school students experiencing homelessness and those not experiencing homelessness. This series shares the striking and heartbreaking results of that analysis, with tangible action steps schools can take to promote safety and health for students experiencing homelessness.

Authored by: SchoolHouse Connection
Topics: Education, Homelessness, Low-income, Research, Youth
Shared by Housing Is on May 21, 2019
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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
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Report
Community:
Recent research has begun to focus on the impact of housing instability, in its many forms, on child health and development. It is hypothesized that young children are at greater risk of adverse effects of living environments, as this time period serves as a critical window for establishing socialization and learning habits. Additionally, the effects of housing instability may be compounded when combined with other challenges faced by low-income families, such as lack of resources. Previous studies have found that housing instability is associated with deficits in overall academic achievement, emotional regulation, and verbal abilities.

Authored by: International Public Health Journal
Topics: Child welfare, Education, Health, Homelessness, Housing, Research
Shared by Housing Is on May 9, 2019
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Publication
Community:
Apr 4, 2019
Decades of policy choices and insufficient public and private investment have made the infrastructure needs of these communities acute, especially in many communities of color where past policy choices affected by racism, combined with continuing racial bias and discrimination, have resulted in a lack of needed economic resources.

Authored by: Chye-Ching Huang for The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
Topics: Community development, Education, Housing, Legislation & Policy, Low-income
Shared by Housing Is on May 2, 2019

Infrastructure Investments Should Focus on Low-Income Communities

Publication
Apr 4, 2019
Chye-Ching Huang for The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
Decades of policy choices and insufficient public and private investment have made the infrastructure needs of these communities acute, especially in many communities of color where past policy choices affected by racism, combined with continuing racial bias and discrimination, have resulted in a la
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News Article
Community:
Apr 30, 2019
Jonathan Rose is on a mission is to develop "communities that enhance opportunity for all." As the Founder and President of Jonathan Rose Companies, his firm’s work has touched many aspects of community health; working with cities and not-for-profits to build affordable and mixed-income housing, cultural, health and educational infrastructure, and advocates for neighborhoods to be enriched with parks and open space, mass transit, jobs, and healthy food

Authored by: Afdhel Aziz for Forbes
Topics: Education, Health, Housing, Partnerships, Place-based
Shared by Housing Is on Apr 30, 2019

The Power of Purpose: How Jonathan Rose is Creating 'Communities of Opportunity'

News Article
Apr 30, 2019
Afdhel Aziz for Forbes
Jonathan Rose is on a mission is to develop "communities that enhance opportunity for all." As the Founder and President of Jonathan Rose Companies, his firm’s work has touched many aspects of community health; working with cities and not-for-profits to build affordable and mixed-income ho
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Publication
Community:
Apr 24, 2019
Are you a Pennsylvanian without a high school diploma? Then sign up with AmeriHealth Caritas for Medicaid and the plan will help you get your GED. Having trouble getting a job in Ohio? If you are enrolled in CareSource, the Life Services JobConnect in CareSource’s managed care organization (MCO) will arrange job coaching and other employment services at no cost. These are not examples of corporate philanthropy. Rather, they reflect a growing recognition in the health care sector, especially among managed care organizations, that good health—and achieving lower medical costs—requires a focus on the nonmedical factors known as social determinants that affect health and well-being.

Authored by: Stuart Butler for news@Jama
Topics: Education, Food insecurity, Health, Housing, Low-income, Nutrition, Research
Shared by Housing Is on Apr 25, 2019
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News Article
Community:
Apr 21, 2019
An EdSource analysis of teacher salaries and rents reveals just how crushing California’s housing crisis has become for many teachers.Teachers at the bottom of the salary scale working in coastal or metro areas of the state are being shut out of affordable housing. Many are spending more than 30% of their salary on rent, the federal cutoff for affordable housing.

Authored by: Diana Lambert and Daniel Willis for The San Francisco Chronicle
Topics: Education, Housing, Low-income, West Coast
Shared by Housing Is on Apr 25, 2019

California's teacher housing crunch: Rising rents in coastal areas outpace pay

News Article
Apr 21, 2019
Diana Lambert and Daniel Willis for The San Francisco Chronicle
An EdSource analysis of teacher salaries and rents reveals just how crushing California’s housing crisis has become for many teachers.Teachers at the bottom of the salary scale working in coastal or metro areas of the state are being shut out of affordable housing.
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Report
Community:
Apr 1, 2019
College Promise programs aim to make students believe they can afford college, and to give them the opportunity to go to college and earn degrees without taking on significant debt. At the core of all College Promise programs is a scholarship: All eligible College Promise students receive scholarships that may cover up to 100 percent of tuition and fees at postsecondary institutions. Additionally, many Promise programs are designing, implementing, and refining additions to their models by providing students with support services once they enroll in college. MDRC’s College Promise Success Initiative (CPSI) provides important lessons for Promise programs interested in including such services.This brief shares early lessons from CPSI about how different Promise programs are designing, implementing, and refining their models with embedded student services in mind.

Authored by: Jacklyn Willard, Andrea Vasquez, and Marco Lepe for MDRC
Topics: Education, Low-income, Post-secondary, Research, Youth
Shared by Housing Is on Apr 24, 2019
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Report
Community:
Apr 20, 2019
Detroit’s Promise program was designed to encourage college attendance among some of the nation’s most underserved students, those in Detroit, Michigan. The next step was to help students succeed once they enrolled in college. To do so, MDRC and the Detroit Promise partnered to create the Detroit Promise Path, an evidence-based student services program. Detroit Promise Path students begin meeting with college coaches in the late summer before their first semester of college. They are given an incentive to attend coaching meetings in the form of a monthly gift card refilled with $50 each month that they meet with coaches as directed. The program lasts all year, including summer semesters, when students are encouraged to enroll in summer classes or engage in a local summer jobs program. The entire operation is supported by a management information system.

Authored by: MDRC
Topics: Education, Low-income, Midwest, Post-secondary, Research
Shared by Housing Is on Apr 24, 2019
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Research
Community:
Apr 1, 2019
Serious mental illness (SMI) is a disabling condition that develops early in life and imposes substantial economic burden. There is a growing belief that early intervention for SMI has lifelong benefits for patients. However, assessing the cost-effectiveness of early intervention efforts is hampered by a lack of evidence on the long-term benefits. We addressed this by using a dynamic microsimulation model to estimate the lifetime burden of SMI for those diagnosed by age twenty-five.

Authored by: Health Affairs
Topics: Disabilities, Education, Low-income, Mental health, Research
Shared by Housing Is on Apr 23, 2019

Measuring The Lifetime Costs of Serious Mental Illness And The Mitigating Effects of Educational Attainment

Research
Apr 1, 2019
Health Affairs
Serious mental illness (SMI) is a disabling condition that develops early in life and imposes substantial economic burden. There is a growing belief that early intervention for SMI has lifelong benefits for patients.
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Publication
Community:
Housing and land use policies have a significant effect on schools, and since these policies are usually decided at the state and local level, educators and education advocates have the opportunity to play a significant role. Housing and land use policies can affect enrollment trends, concentrations of poverty and school diversity, school funding, stability of enrollment vs. “churning” of students, and ability of students to complete their homework and focus during the school day.

Authored by: National Education Association and the Poverty and Race Research Action Council
Topics: Child welfare, Education, Housing, Legislation & Policy
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Apr 18, 2019

Housing and Schools: The Importance of Engagement for Educators and Education Advocates

Publication
National Education Association and the Poverty and Race Research Action Council
Housing and land use policies have a significant effect on schools, and since these policies are usually decided at the state and local level, educators and education advocates have the opportunity to play a significant role.
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Publication
Community:
Founded in 1995 as Project Women, Family Scholar House (FSH) provides comprehensive, holistic services for disadvantaged single parents, their children, and foster alumni. The nonprofit seeks to end the cycle of poverty and transform communities by empowering families and youth to succeed in education and life-long self-sufficiency. FSH provides supportive housing, educational programming, and participant advocacy to help families gain independence.

Authored by: American Planning Association
Topics: Dual-generation, Early childhood, Education, Homelessness, Housing, Low-income, Partnerships, Place-based, Post-secondary, South, Stability
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Apr 18, 2019
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News Article
Community:
Mar 19, 2019
For 17 years, physicians, nurse practitioners and pediatric residents at our hospital, and presently, at more than 80 locations throughout the region, have been participating in Reach Out and Read of Greater Philadelphia (www.reachoutandreadphilly.org), a simple yet profound way to harness the power of a book to potentially alter a child’s health trajectory.

Authored by: Daniel Taylor for The Inquirer
Topics: Early childhood, East Coast, Education, Grade-level proficiency, Health, Literacy, Low-income
Shared by Housing Is on Apr 18, 2019

This Philly pediatrician always prescribes reading to patients and parents. Here's why.

News Article
Mar 19, 2019
Daniel Taylor for The Inquirer
For 17 years, physicians, nurse practitioners and pediatric residents at our hospital, and presently, at more than 80 locations throughout the region, have been participating in Reach Out and Read of Greater Philadelphia (www.reachoutandreadphilly.org), a simple yet profound way to harness the power
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Webinar
Community:
Apr 10, 2019
Advocacy is everyone's job and it is essential to the children and communities we serve. CLPHA’s Education Working Group hosted a webinar to learn about advocacy efforts to build support and investment in housing. Representatives from Partnership for Children and Youth (PCY) – a California-based advocacy organization that promotes and supports learning opportunities for underserved students – discussed strategies for providing, sustaining, and increasing access to Out-of-School-Time services in housing. PCY also touched on a range of advocacy strategies and preliminary results from the Save After School Campaign in California.

Authored by: CLPHA
Topics: CLPHA, Education, Housing, Housing Is Working Group, Legislation & Policy, Out-of-school time, Partnerships, Youth
Shared by Housing Is on Apr 10, 2019
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Interactive
Community:
The Legal Bibliography is collection of 100+ papers, toolkits and other materials focused on privacy, consent and policy documentation. Co-developed by the Network for Public Health Law and Data Across Sectors for Health (DASH), the Bibliography is a growing resource for lawyers and community data practitioners, intended to support local collaboratives in their efforts to share data across sectors.

Authored by: Data Across Sectors for Health (DASH) and Network for Public Health Law (NPHL)
Topics: Criminal justice, Data sharing, Education, Health, Homelessness, Housing, Mental health, Partnerships, Safety
Shared by Housing Is on Apr 8, 2019
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News Article
Community:
Apr 4, 2019
The nonprofit LIFT Orlando and AdventHealth have started construction on a “first of its kind” early learning center in the long-neglected West Lakes neighborhood south of Camping World Stadium, with an opening expected by August. The center will provide basic education as well as health and wellness programs, an on-site doctor or advanced nurse practitioner, mental health counseling and other services beyond the classroom. It can enroll up to 220 children from age 6 weeks to 5 years, with half of the openings reserved for kids from the West Lakes area, who will be accepted regardless of their families’ ability to pay.

Authored by: Kate Santich for Orland Sentinel
Topics: Child welfare, Early childhood, Education, Health, Low-income, Partnerships, Place-based
Shared by Housing Is on Apr 4, 2019
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Publication
Community:
Apr 4, 2019
The nation has large, pressing infrastructure needs, which are often felt most acutely in low-income communities due to decades of policy choices and lack of public and private investment. As federal lawmakers consider investing in infrastructure, a core priority should be to direct substantial resources across a range of areas to low-income communities, which could expand their access to safe living conditions and economic opportunity.

Authored by: Chye-Ching Huang and Roderick Taylor for the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
Topics: Education, Funding, Health, Housing, Legislation & Policy, Low-income, Safety, Transportation
Shared by Housing Is on Apr 4, 2019

Any Federal Infrastructure Package Should Boost Investment in Low-Income Communities

Publication
Apr 4, 2019
Chye-Ching Huang and Roderick Taylor for the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
The nation has large, pressing infrastructure needs, which are often felt most acutely in low-income communities due to decades of policy choices and lack of public and private investment.
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Policy Brief
Community:
Mar 1, 2019
A brief to help state and local agencies identify opportunities to align and leverage policies, programs, and funding across the three laws to support the education-to-workforce pipeline; a workbook to facilitate cross-agency conversations to identify and plan for alignment opportunities across ESSA, Perkins V, IDEA and WIOA; and an interactive tool that identifies specific language in the laws that address college and readiness topics and help state education agencies and local education agencies find new or greater alignment opportunities in their plans.

Authored by: College & Career Readiness & Success Center
Topics: Asset building, Education, Legislation & Policy, Post-secondary, Workforce development, Youth
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Apr 2, 2019

Developing a College- and Career-Ready Workforce: An Analysis of ESSA, Perkins V, IDEA, and WIOA

Policy Brief
Mar 1, 2019
College & Career Readiness & Success Center
A brief to help state and local agencies identify opportunities to align and leverage policies, programs, and funding across the three laws to support the education-to-workforce pipeline; a workbook to facilitate cross-agency conversations to identify and plan for alignment opportunities across ESSA
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Research
Community:
Mar 28, 2019
Federal safety net programs are intended to protect the most vulnerable Americans—such as the elderly, people with severe disabilities and young children. Housing assistance plays a critical role in the safety net, providing decent, safe, and affordable housing for millions of extremely low-income and vulnerable families—though, because it is not an entitlement like other federal safety net programs, the assistance available falls far short of the need. Housing subsidies free families to spend on other essentials like healthy food, education, and health care.

Authored by: Susan J. Popkin for Journal of Housing & Community Development
Topics: Asset building, Dual-generation, Education, Housing, Mental health, Mobility, Partnerships, Research, Workforce development
Shared by Housing Is on Apr 2, 2019
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Publication
Community:
Mar 21, 2019
School districts, teachers, and students across the country are beginning to prepare for spring break even though snow still blankets the ground in many states. While many students welcome the break from classes, for many others spring break also means a break from the nutritious school meals and afterschool suppers and snacks they rely on to remain engaged, active, and healthy.

Authored by: Clarissa Hayes for Food Research & Action Center (FRAC)
Topics: Child welfare, Education, Food insecurity, Low-income, Nutrition
Shared by Housing Is on Apr 2, 2019
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News Article
Community:
Mar 18, 2019
The Department of Education reports more than 29,000 kids in North Carolina were considered homeless in the 2016-2017 school year. About three-quarters of those are living with other families because it’s too expensive to live on their own. According to Shantiqua Neely, it’s not necessarily because people don’t have jobs. She’s the executive director at A Child’s Place, the organization helps homeless CMS students and families. She said it’s because rent is too expensive.

Authored by: Alex Olgin for WFAE 90.7
Topics: Child welfare, Education, Homelessness, Housing, Legislation & Policy, Low-income
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Mar 26, 2019
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News Article
Community:
Mar 13, 2019
Universal meals allow schools to build the program into their overall curriculum, "creating a learning lab for healthy eating and a mealtime experience where every kid is equal and enjoys their meals together," according to Hunger Free Vermont, which says nearly a quarter of schools in the state offer them and studies show that the programs "increase participation, leading to better student health and learning, and a strong school meals business. When participation is up, school meal programs have more resources to invest in even higher quality food, including many local foods."

Authored by: Chris Mays for Brattleboro Reformer
Topics: Child welfare, Education, Food insecurity, Funding, Health, Nutrition
Shared by Housing Is on Mar 19, 2019

A push for universal meals

News Article
Mar 13, 2019
Chris Mays for Brattleboro Reformer
Universal meals allow schools to build the program into their overall curriculum, "creating a learning lab for healthy eating and a mealtime experience where every kid is equal and enjoys their meals together," according to Hunger Free Vermont, which says nearly a quarter of schools in the
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Publication
Community:
Feb 28, 2019
This brief presents a new approach to support the development of early math skills in young children. The approach synthesizes the influence of parents, home environment, and children’s health care providers. The brief draws on research to explain (1) why it is important to support early math development, (2) what early math is (and isn’t), (3) how early math and literacy development intertwine, and (4) the important role parents play in their child’s development. The brief ends with a description of a promising approach to support early childhood math development that leverages communication between parents and health care providers and book sharing during well-child primary care visits.

Authored by: Mathematica Policy Research
Topics: Child welfare, Early childhood, Education, Health, Literacy, Partnerships
Shared by Housing Is on Mar 18, 2019
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News Article
Community:
Oct 1, 2018
When children get sick from poor living conditions inside their rundown apartments, they miss school. And when 95 percent of students of one school live in the same apartment complex—where evictions are routine and black mold is rampant—classrooms are often left empty.

Authored by: Jamie Hwang for the American Bar Association Journal
Topics: Attendance, Child welfare, Education, Health, Housing, Low-income, Partnerships, Place-based, Youth
Shared by Housing Is on Mar 11, 2019

Atlanta pro bono proram expands to resolve elementary school students' housing issues

News Article
Oct 1, 2018
Jamie Hwang for the American Bar Association Journal
When children get sick from poor living conditions inside their rundown apartments, they miss school. And when 95 percent of students of one school live in the same apartment complex—where evictions are routine and black mold is rampant—classrooms are often left empty.