Brookings Institution Publishes Housing and Health Report

Recently, the Brookings Institution released the report Housing as a Hub for Health, Community Services, and Upward Mobility, which explores ways in which housing can impact the overall health, lives, and success of individuals and details how the effect varies for differing segments of the U.S. population. The report determines that, in many instances, a number of systems and policy issues obstruct the capacity of housing to serve as a source for good health, educational attainment, and upward mobility.

An increasing number of housing experts, public health practitioners, and policymakers have recognized housing as a “hub” for wellbeing and have begun examining how housing-based initiatives can foster improved health, economic opportunities, and social mobility. A set of recommendations is identified in the report to strengthen the role of housing as a social determinant for health and success; these recommendations consist of:

• Improving data collection, sharing, and evaluation
• Improving budgetary coordination and funding experimentation
• Experimenting with different models to organize and manage housing-based services
• Strengthening housing-health partnerships

The report is intended to be used as a guide for intersectoral partnerships among governmental and community-based organizations and entities. The full report is available here.