New Policy Briefs on Housing as a Foundation for Child Health and Well-Being

The Opportunity Starts at Home campaign, in collaboration with Children’s HealthWatch, has released a two-part policy brief series on housing as a foundation for child health and well-being. 

“A Foundation for Every Child: Housing Stability and Health Equity” explores how housing instability and eviction affect children’s health across the life course, deepen inequities, and create avoidable costs, while outlining evidence-based federal solutions to help families achieve stability nationwide. 

“Stable Homes, Healthy Children: Cuts and Restrictions Threaten Child Health and Thriving” examines how proposed federal cuts, eligibility restrictions, work reporting requirements, time limits, and weakened tenant protections could destabilize families, increase housing instability, and harm children’s health and well-being across communities. 

Grounded in extensive research, the Opportunity Starts at Home campaign and Children’s HealthWatch support solutions to reduce housing instability and homelessness, including: 

• Bridging the gap between rents and income so every low-income household can access the support they need to thrive in the community of their choice.  
• Increasing the supply of housing that is affordable, available, and accessible to low-income households.  
• Stabilizing households by providing emergency rental assistance to avert housing instability and homelessness. 

These briefs offer additional evidence for policies that elected officials can advance to prevent eviction and homelessness. Alongside significant investments in affordable, equitable housing programs, bold legislation is urgently needed to address the housing crisis and improve lifelong health.  

Read the policy briefs.