Where a person lives shouldn’t determine how long or how well they live. Unfortunately, in many communities, there are persistent barriers to health and opportunity to thrive. All communities should have conditions that enable people to live the healthiest life possible, such as access to healthy food, quality schools, stable housing, good jobs with fair pay, and safe places to exercise and play. Research in this area focuses on cross-sector strategies that make healthy choices available, culturally-relevant, affordable, and equitable.
Research & Publications See all
November 2024
Understanding Family Financial and Emotional Well-being During the Pandemic
This study focuses on the COVID-19 pandemic-related experiences of non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic families with young children (birth to age 5) and low incomes. Families with low incomes were overrepresented among the unemployed populations in most U.S. metropolitan areas, and a higher percentage of non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic workers with low incomes were displaced for More
November 2024
How Emergency Rental Assistance Might Protect Households With Children From Food Insufficiency
The COVID-19 pandemic took a severe toll on the U.S. economy as the public health crisis triggered steep job losses, business and school closures, supply backlogs, and rising inflation and rent. Households with low incomes were already rent-burdened before the pandemic and the pandemic’s economic fallout further exacerbated existing conditions. Higher rent and income loss More
November 2023
Understanding the social safety net’s impact on food security to inform policy on how best to support children in low-income families
By providing resources to low-income families with children, the safety net has the potential to reduce food insecurity and improve nutrition. Understanding how much, how, and for whom the safety net impacts food security is a critical input into active policy discussions about the best way to support children in low-income families. The project will More
October 2023
A Comprehensive Demographic Profile of the U.S. Evicted Population
Millions of American renter households every year are threatened with eviction, an event associated with severe negative impacts on health and economic well-being. Yet we know little about the characteristics of individuals living in these households. Here, we link 38 million eviction court cases to US Census Bureau data to show that 7.6 million people, More