Connected to housing

Affordable housing is interconnected with multiple policy areas. Education is one. When children have safe, stable housing, they are better students.

Many factors affect school outcomes, including parental involvement and school quality, and research from the Urban Institute’s What Works Collaborative suggests that meeting children’s basic housing needs is a very important part of school readiness and academic success:

“Housing quality (often affected by housing affordability) can positively affect children’s safety and health outcomes, leading to better school attendance rates and improved attentiveness in class. Living in a housing unit that comfortably accommodates all members of the household provides a stress-free environment in which children can accomplish homework assignments.

“Residential stability (often affected by housing quality and housing affordability) can lead to an uninterrupted school year, avoid disruptions at home caused by an unplanned move, and lead to fewer school changes that leave children behind academically.

“Since housing is the biggest expenditure in household budgets, affordable housing can provide families with financial security, leading to improvements in housing quality and residential stability; these improvements lead to better school outcomes … .

“Housing in a safe and healthy neighborhood location can improve household access to high-performing schools that lead to improved academic outcomes. Factors independent of school quality, such as community norms and values, daycare availability, and safety may also lead to improved educational outcomes in a good neighborhood.”

Education is an important policy area; and affordable housing is connected. RICH ROY Little Rock