The Opportunity Starts at Home (OSAH) campaign has released a new fact sheet describing the connections between child poverty and lack of access to stable, affordable housing. The fact sheet includes research showing that housing is foundational to many outcomes in children, including physical and cognitive development, success in school, health, and safety, and that increasing access to affordable housing is the most cost-effective strategy for reducing childhood poverty. The fact sheet was developed with the help of OSAH campaign partners working to address child anti-poverty and well-being, including Children’s HealthWatch, ZERO TO THREE, and Children’s Defense Fund.
In total, the OSAH campaign has posted 16 multi-sector fact sheets to its website. Each fact sheet compiles landmark research to help policymakers, opinion leaders, and the public understand the deep connections between housing and other national priorities, from healthcare to education to economic growth. Housing advocates are encouraged to download the fact sheets and use them in making the case for cross-sector collaboration with potential allies in other fields. Broadening the movement for housing justice requires ensuring that allies in other sectors fully appreciate the extent to which housing influences their own priorities and goals.
See the full list of fact sheets here.