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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Housing and homelessness

Student Homelessness Growing Fastest in Rural America
Examines trends in homelessness among rural students, which may contribute to disparities in health and academic outcomes. Explores challenges in identifying and supporting homeless families, funding in rural schools, and obstacles facing homeless rural students. Features statistics including percent change in number of homeless students from school years 2013-2014 to 2016-2017 in select states, with breakdowns by rural or nonrural locations.
Date: 02/2019
Sponsoring organization: Institute for Children, Poverty & Homelessness
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Hope after Disaster: Rural Resilience and Recovery
Offers articles on various aspects related to emergency preparedness, response, and recovery for rural disasters. Focuses on how the 2019 flooding in Iowa showed connections between recovery and rural housing, how using risk models can minimize risks, lessons learned from rural wildfires in California, and more.
Citation: Rural Voices, 23(1)
Date: 2019
Sponsoring organization: Housing Assistance Council
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Review and Evaluation of the Substance Abuse, Mental Health, and Homelessness Grant Formulas
Examines the formulas for distributing state funds under the the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant, Community Mental Health Services Block Grant, and Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness program as required by the 21st Century Cures Act. Focuses on how well the formulas reflect state service needs, offers recommendations for updating the grant formulas, and considers the potential impact of updates on state funding. Addresses how the current formulas take rural areas into consideration, whether updates are needed, and whether data is available for those updates.
Additional links: Federal Block Grants to States for Mental Health, Substance Abuse, and Homelessness: Research Brief
Author(s): J. Scott Ashwood, Karen Chan Osilla, Maria DeYoreo, et al.
Date: 2019
Sponsoring organization: RAND Corporation
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2018 National Survey of Health Attitudes: Description and Top-Line Summary Data
Results of a survey designed to provide insight into how people in the U.S. think about, value, and prioritize health and issues of health equity. Appendix A shows survey results comparing populations by city size, with breakdowns by rural areas, small towns, midsized cities, and large cities, and Appendix B features statistics comparing urban and rural areas.
Additional links: Appendix A: Survey Results Comparing Populations by City Size, Appendix B: Survey Results Comparing Urban and Rural Populations
Author(s): Katherine Grace Carman, Anita Chandra, Sarah Weilant, Carolyn Miller, Margaret Tait
Date: 2019
Sponsoring organizations: RAND Corporation, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
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Building Rural Communities: Honoring the Past, Maintaining the Mission, & Creating a Stronger Vision
Video recording of the 2018 Rural Housing Conference that covers discussions of rural housing policy priorities, housing affordability, community partnerships, sustainability, and more. Includes 14 sessions available for viewing.
Date: 12/2018
Sponsoring organization: Housing Assistance Council
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The State of Rural Health in Illinois: Great Challenges and a Path Forward
Provides information and statistics regarding rural health issues in Illinois, including healthcare shortages, opioid mortality rates, childhood abuse and dysfunction, obesity rates, housing, and more. Discusses relevant strategies to address these issues.
Date: 10/2018
Sponsoring organization: Southern Illinois University School of Medicine
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Missed Opportunities: Youth Homelessness in Rural America
Examines research related to experiences of rural youth who are homeless. Offers recommendations for policy changes and community responses to address challenges unique to rural areas. Includes a section on homelessness among American Indian and Alaskan Native youth.
Author(s): Matthew Morton, Amy Dworsky, Sonali Patel, Gina M. Samuels
Date: 10/2018
Sponsoring organizations: Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago, Voices of Youth Count
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Rental Housing for a 21st Century Rural America: A Platform for Production
Analyzes 7 indicators to describe the supply, demand, and affordability of housing in rural areas by census tracts. Offers suggestions on future rural rental housing needs and policy recommendations.
Author(s): Corianne Scally, Brandi Gilbert, Carl Hedman, Amanda Gold, Lily Posey
Date: 10/2018
Sponsoring organizations: Housing Assistance Council, Urban Institute
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Rental Housing for a 21st Century Rural America: A Platform for Preservation
Provides an in-depth analysis of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) multi-family housing investments that includes information on property characteristics, tenants, and market dynamics. Recognizes USDA's Section 515 rural rental housing as a public-private partnership involving four major stakeholders: USDA, Section 515 property owners, tenants of Section 515 properties, and the public around Section 515 investments. Offers strategies and policy recommendations for key stakeholder groups to help preserve housing resources and opportunities for rural communities.
Author(s): Lance George, Michael Feinberg, Keith Wiley, Leslie Strauss
Date: 09/2018
Sponsoring organization: Housing Assistance Council
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Picking Up the Pieces: Restoring Rural Housing and Communities After a Disaster
Acts as a guide to inform and identify resources for rural survivors, local organizations, and communities to rebuild housing and communities after a disaster with an emphasis on housing assistance.
Additional links: Special Supplement
Date: 09/2018
Sponsoring organization: Housing Assistance Council
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