Housing and education

Invest in school and neighborhood improvements. Housing practitioners should look beyond their buildings, especially when they are located in communities where schools are performing at low levels. They should advocate for school improvements and potentially partner with education policy experts and practitioners to make physical investments in school facilities. Further, there is strong evidence that neighborhoods affect long-run educational outcomes as well. As noted above, there is particularly strong evidence that exposure to violence undermines children’s academic performance. Therefore, housing practitioners should look to partner with their colleagues in law enforcement, parks, and community development to ensure that neighborhoods provide safe streets and recreational resources for youth.

Combat housing market discrimination. Research shows that housing market discrimination remains an obstacle to finding affordable housing in well-resourced neighborhoods for many families. Such discrimination often prevents families from reaching neighborhoods and communities with well-resourced schools and low-crime environments, thus worsening inequality in childhood outcomes. Local officials might consider providing fair housing and racial equity education to landlords and realtors, increasing efforts to enforce existing fair housing laws, and adopting source of income discrimination laws that ban discrimination against applicants using housing choice voucherOfficially known as “Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher”. It is the largest and most sought after housing program in America. Section 8 HCVs are managed by various public housing agencies (most commonly referred to as housing authorities), which falls under the supervision of HUD. Program participants typically pay 30% of the rent, and the rest is covered by the HCV.s or other rental subsidies.

Create and preserve affordable housing in resource-richA term to define neighborhoods that offer abundant amenities, such as access to quality schools and public libraries, streets and parks that are free from violence and provide a safe place to play, and fresh and healthy food. neighborhoods: City officials might also invest in creating and preserving affordable housing units for families in resource-rich neighborhoods that offer high-performing schools, safe streets, and ample recreational opportunities for youth.

Invest in efforts to encourage mobility for voucher holders. Local officials may also want to expand efforts to help voucher holders reach a broader set of neighborhoods, with strategies including recruiting landlords in high-cost areas, providing mobility counseling to voucher holders, and increasing voucher payment standards in high-cost areas.

Cost effectiveness. Though improving housing costs money, in many cases the costs associated with improved home quality may be offset by the value of improved educational outcomes. Policymakers should break down barriers across sectors and invest in housing improvements that will generate significant educational benefits.

Partnerships. The housing sector cannot improve schools and neighborhoods on its own. Housing policymakers and practitioners should work closely with educational officials and community-based organizations to make improvements to schools, parks, and public spaces that enhance their usability and safety. This coordination is especially critical as new housing is created to ensure that local schools have the capacity to effectively serve the new families moving into an area.

One noteworthy instance of this policy is the partnership between Eden Housing and the Partnership for Children and Youth, who, together, have developed on-site after school programming led by trained staff to help support student learning and bridge the gap between resident-parents and local school staff.