Featured resources for the month look at housing instability: who's moving; and how are housing stability and instability connected to health and eduation. The summaries below help you keep up with the research and resources available despite busy schedules. And while we're at it, it's good to know about resources for speaking to your members of Congress.

Housing Is Connected to Health, Education

The Center for Housing Policy recently released two updated literature reviews on the connections between housing and health and between housing and education.  The new reports review research that suggests that high-quality affordable housing can support health and educational outcomes in multiple ways.  

• The Impacts of Affordable Housing on Health looks at the pathways through which affordable housing can affect the health of residents, especially children. The brief considers not only the direct effects of poor quality or unsafe housing on health, but on protective effects of decent housing and housing stability. For example, high-quality affordable homes enable families to spend more on nutritious food, healthcare expenditures, and other essentials that promote good health, experience less stress, and less exposure to violence and trauma.

• The Impacts of Affordable Housing on Education suggests that high-quality, affordable housing provides children with enhanced opportunities for educational success. Affordable housing can lead to better school outcomes, including student achievement, reduced absenteeism, and lower student turnover. Access to neighborhoods with lower poverty can also improve children's educational achievement.

Low Income People and Non-Whites Far More Likely to Move in 2010

In May, the U.S. Census Bureau released new data that shows that nearly a quarter (23.6%) of people with incomes below the poverty line moved in 2010. By comparison, 16.5% of people with incomes between 100% and 149% of the poverty line moved, and just 9.9% of people with incomes 150% or more of the poverty line moved. The"Black alone" population had the highest mover rate (16.7%), followed by Hispanics (15.6%), "Asian alone" (13.9%) and "White alone" (not Hispanic) (10.8%). Recent literature has linked residential mobility and housing instability to worse health and school outcomes particularly for children, though moves can also lead to improved housing and opportunities. (Excerpted from NLIHC Memo to Members).

New Congressional District Profiles Released

The National Low Income Housing Coalition released updated Congressional District Profiles to provide advocates with a snapshot of the housing needs in each congressional district and state. The new profiles include Out of Reach 2011 data with rents and hours of work needed to afford to rent at various income levels.