Housing and education
Published: July 25, 2024
Housing and neighborhoods can play a critical role in children’s educational outcomes. A wealth of research demonstrates how housing and its location can influence educational outcomes through multiple pathways, including housing affordability, stability, quality, and neighborhood characteristics. This brief describes the connections and highlights opportunities for localities to leverage housing policy as a strategy for promoting children’s educational success.
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Connections between housing and education
Housing affordability
High housing costs can lead to unwanted and frequent moves that disrupt children’s schooling and educational attainment. A wealth of research shows that frequent moves, evictions, and homelessness can harm children’s school readiness, school attendance, and performance on standardized tests. Affordable housing can help to prevent unwanted residential moves that negatively impact children, alleviate caregiver stress, and free up resources for families to invest in children’s development and enrichment.
Housing stability
Stable housing is critical for educational attainment and academic achievement. Several studies have shown that children who experience eviction and homelessness have higher rates of chronic absenteeism, lower test scores, and grade repetition than children in higher-income households with stable housing. While children of all ages can be impacted, young children’s educational outcomes may be particularly compromised through impacts on cognitive and behavioral development and school readiness.
Housing conditions
Housing conditions can also influence children’s educational outcomes. Research shows that substandard housing can expose children to harmful conditions that impact cognitive development and physical health. Lead exposure can impede neurological development and behavior in early childhood. Substandard housing conditions such as leaks, mold, and rodents can contribute to childhood asthma and respiratory illness that disrupt school attendance and performance.
Neighborhood characteristics
Neighborhood characteristics also play a role in children’s access to educational opportunities and achievement. Children who live in high-poverty neighborhoods are more likely to attend poorly funded schools with fewer financial resources and lower school quality measures. Research shows that young children who grow up in high-poverty neighborhoods are less prepared for school than their higher-income peers, have more school absences, and are less likely to complete high school. Prolonged exposure to high-poverty neighborhoods is associated with more severe outcomes across many domains across the life course.
Housing policy options to promote children’s educational success
Policies that help increase access to affordable housing, economically diverse neighborhoods, and quality schools have the potential to improve children’s educational outcomes. Policy options may include:
- Inclusionary zoning policies that encourage mixed-income neighborhoods, reduce segregation, and increase access to quality education
- Housing mobility programs that help families move to neighborhoods with less concentrated poverty and greater access to well-funded schools
- Rent regulation and eviction prevention programs that help prevent frequent moves and homelessness
- Source of income laws that prevent discrimination in the housing market and help families with housing vouchers access neighborhoods with high-performing schools
- Housing rehabilitation and code enforcement programs that help children reside in healthy and safe home environments
Collaboration between the housing and education sectors
Collaboration between housing and education stakeholders is essential for improving children’s educational opportunities and success. Partners may include, but are not limited to, local government departments, school districts, housing authorities, housing and social service providers, school districts, community development corporations, and advocates. Parents, caregivers, and children are also key partners.
Collaborative efforts may include sharing data to identify areas of need and target interventions, coordinating support and referral services for students experiencing housing insecurity, and partnering on advocacy to promote public policies that foster educational success. Practical guidance is available to assist housing and education stakeholders in developing cross-sector partnerships.
Additional reading and resources
The Impacts of Affordable Housing on Education. The National Housing Conference report provides a comprehensive review of the literature on affordable housing’s influence on educational outcomes for children.
How Does Housing Affect Children’s Education? This Habitat for Humanity evidence brief summarizes research on linkages between children’s educational outcomes and affordable and stable housing.
Toolkit for Housing and Education Partnerships. The Enterprise Community Partners toolkit offers guidance on effective housing and education partnerships for stakeholders at all partnership stages.
Integrating Housing and Education Solutions to Reduce Segregation and Drive School Equity. The Urban Institute shares community examples that advance school and neighborhood segregation and highlights inclusionary zoning policies that encourage affordable housing construction near higher-performing schools.
Housing and Education Cross-Systems Collaboration. HUD provides a set of case studies and resources on collaboration strategies between housing, homeless service providers, and the education sector.
Bridges Collaborative. The Century Foundation provides examples of collaboration among school and housing practitioners pursuing greater school integration.