Housing

Mixed-Income Housing Developments

IMPACT:

LOCUS:

ORIGIN: Community Guide systematic review

Publication Date: 12/07/2009

Author(s): NPO Staff

The Problem:

The shortage of adequate, affordable housing can create pockets of concentrated poverty, exposing children and others to lead and other pathogens, which affects the health of children and families. The Urban Institute. Research on Record: Housing. Also, housing expenses draw resources away from health expenditures (e.g., nutritious food and healthcare). CDC and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Healthy Housing Reference Manual. 

 

The Law:

States and localities have attempted to address the inadequate supply of affordable housing and its associated harms by facilitating the creation of mixed income housing developments through a number of legal mechanisms.  Mixed-income housing developments provide affordable housing for low-income residents in rental units that are interspersed with market-rate housing.  Laws promote mixed-income housing developments by subsidizing the construction of multi-family residences and reserving a portion of units for low-income residents at affordable prices. Hope VI is federal housing program that funds mixed-income housing fully or in partnership with private developers. HOPE VI Revitalization Notices of Funds Availability; 24 C.F.R. 941.600. Some municipalities have used zoning law to increase mixed income housing. For example,  Sacramento, Calif. ( Sacramento City Code § 17.190.030) and Burlington, Vt. (Burlington Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance §§ 9.1-9.2)) have inclusionary zoning requirements that require that a certain percentage of new housing units are affordable to low-income residents.

The Evidence:

In a Community Guide review, Anderson et. al. could not find any qualifying studies that measured the impact of mixed-income housing developments in creating and maintaining safe and affordable housing for low-income residents. Anderson LM, et al. Providing affordable family housing and reducing residential segregation by income: a systematic review. Am J Prev Med. 2003;24(3S):S47-67. As a result, the reviewers could not ascertain the effectiveness of mixed-income housing developments as a public health intervention.

The Bottom Line:

In the judgment of a Community Guide expert panel, there is currently insufficient evidence to establish the effectiveness of mixed income housing as a public health intervention.

Categories:
Rental Assistance and Voucher Programs for Tenants

IMPACT:

LOCUS:

ORIGIN: Community Guide systematic review

Publication Date: 12/07/2009

Author(s): NPO Staff

The Problem:

The shortage of adequate, affordable housing is a major public health problem, which draws family resources away from other health expenditures, such as  nutritious food and healthcare, and exposes children and others to lead and other pathogens. CDC and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Healthy housing reference manual. The scarcity of affordable housing also creates pockets of concentrated poverty, which deleteriously affects the health of children and their families. The Urban Institute. Research on Record: Housing.

The Law:

One way that governments have attempted to address the shortage of affordably priced housing is through programs that subsidize housing costs. Tenant-based rental assistance programs subsidize the cost of housing for low-income households in the private housing market. One of the more prominent examples is the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Section 8 program, which state and local governments administer. This program is authorized by 42 U.S.C. 1437(f) and regulated by 24 C.F.R. 982. Three other well known examples are the Housing Allowance Experiment, the Gautreaux program, and the Moving to Opportunity for Fair Housing program.

The Evidence:

Anderson et al. reviewed 12 studies that assessed the effectiveness of tenant-based rental assistance programs as a public health intervention aimed at improving household safety and reducing exposure to crime. Anderson LM, et al. Providing affordable family housing and reducing residential segregation by income: a systematic review. Am J Prev Med. 2003;24(3S):S47-67. The 12 studies focused specifically on the four federal housing efforts mentioned above. The review found tenant-based rental assistance to be effective in increasing household safety and reducing exposure to crime. According to the reviewers, the underlying studies also provide evidence that these programs improve housing quality, reduce behavioral problems among children at home and in school, and improve the physical and psychological health of parental figures.

The Bottom Line:

In the judgment of a Community Guide expert panel, there is sufficient evidence to suggest that tenant-based rental assistance programs (or affordable housing rental vouchers programs) are effective public health interventions aimed at addressing the shortage of affordable housing and its associated risks to health.

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