Shaping Healthier Housing for Low-Income and Vulnerable Populations

Principal Investigators
Sherry Ahrentzen, Professor
Shimberg Center for Housing Studies, University of Florida
Lynne Dearborn, Program Chair in Health and Well-being, School of Architecture
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Funded on

The built environment and housing have pronounced effects on community health. This study will look at the reach of Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) programs and their potential to produce healthier rental housing that serves low-income and vulnerable populations. The research will focus on four research questions:

  1. What occupant health-related built environment (OHBE) factors do states' Housing Finance Agencies (HFA) include to assess and award LIHTC funding?
  2. How do HFAs ensure compliance with promised OHBE practices once a project has received funding?
  3. What barriers exist to implementing OHBE in the LIHTC process and housing stock?
  4. How can states replicate effective practices in developing OHBE factors, incorporating them into policy, and ensuring implementation?

This research represents a rich opportunity for comprehensive evaluation of how states incentivize and incorporate OHBE factors in the LIHTC process, and opportunities for expansion.

Evidence

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Shaping Healthy Affordable Housing through Policy, Design, Place

Our homes and neighborhoods have a powerful impact on our physical and mental health, with the potential to exacerbate chronic and acute health problems and cost the U.S. billions of dollars annually. Sherry Ahrentzen and Lynne Dearborn investigated how the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC), the nation’s largest source of funding for the development and preservation of affordable rental housing, can contribute to shaping a healthier housing stock.