NLIHC’s Opportunity Starts at Home (OSAH) campaign has released three updated fact sheets highlighting the impacts of affordable housing on food access, rates of homelessness, and the well-being of people with disabilities. Access to accessible, safe, and affordable housing is out of reach for the lowest income renters, and high rental housing costs profoundly impact people with disabilities living on Supplemental Security Income (SSI). In 2024, the national average rent for a basic one-bedroom rental unit was equal to 142% of the average SSI payment. Households with low incomes often must sacrifice other essential needs to stay housed, and 45% of lower-income renter households who were behind on rent last year experienced food insufficiency as a result. The number of people experiencing homelessness has increased in recent years, and expanding access to affordable housing can stabilize vulnerable households to prevent eviction and help households exit homelessness. The new fact sheets, developed in collaboration with key partners including the Center for American Progress (a campaign Roundtable Member), the Food Research & Action Center, and National Alliance to End Homelessness (both members of OSAH’s Steering Committee), draw on research to highlight the intersections between affordable housing and each of these policy areas. Read the new fact sheets here.
In total, the OSAH campaign has posted 16 multi-sector fact sheets. 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 and economic growth. Advocates are encouraged to download the fact sheets to strengthen their efforts to reach out to potential allies in other fields and make the case for cross-sector collaboration. To broaden the movement for housing justice, housing advocates must ensure that allies in other sectors fully appreciate the extent to which housing influences their own priorities and goals.
Find the full list of fact sheets here.