Affordable Housing as a Platform for Improving Family Well-Being

The collapse of the housing market and waves of foreclosure that have swept across the country since the economic recession began in 2007 have forced the nation to take a critical look at affordable housing policies. Widespread foreclosure in particular has resulted in the loss of family and neighborhood assets, increased crime, decreased property values, and a rise in housing instability. This has deeply affected the well-being of children and families and will have long-term effects on the economic vitality of the county.

Increasingly, this link between safe and adequate housing and well-being has contributed to community leaders, advocates, and policymakers demonstrating an understanding of the role that place plays in influencing the lives and life chances of children and families. Living in a distressed neighborhood exacerbates the effects of family poverty on individual educational achievement, economic prospects, health as well as other indicators of well-being. Neighborhoods of concentrated poverty also often lack the support, services, and opportunities residents need to reach their full potential.

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