Family well-being is a complex goal that requires a holistic, interdisciplinary approach. The Baltimore Regional Housing Partnership (BRHP) is proud to work in partnership with diverse financial, educational, and healthcare organizations, including the Credit Builders’ Alliance, Vehicles for Change, the Johns Hopkins University, the City of Baltimore, HealthCare Access Maryland, the CASH Campaign of Maryland, and many other valuable partners to ensure our families have the support they need and amplify our impacts.  

In this blog, we wanted to highlight one of those partnerships, designed to support families with children. The Healthy Children Voucher Demonstration is an initiative BRHP launched in cooperation with the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, the Kresge Foundation, the Housing Authority of Baltimore City, the Health Department of Baltimore City, Johns Hopkins, and other healthcare providers that works to enhance the health of families and children via housing mobility. The Demonstration couples BRHP’s renowned housing mobility counseling with rental assistance via the Housing Authority of Baltimore City to help families whose children have health needs move to areas where their needs can be better met, supporting 150 families whose children medically and developmentally benefit from moving from areas of concentrated poverty to healthier home environments.  

The demonstration builds from the knowledge that housing is a social determinant of health and a belief that health providers in Baltimore can play a role in identifying health challenges that can be improved by quality housing. Maria’s story is one of many stories from the Demonstration that showcases the importance of health partnerships with housing providers and the impact of housing on well-being. Her daughter, who suffers from “eczema…asthma, and severe allergies…was referred to [the Healthy Children Voucher Demonstration] through the Asthma Mobile – it’s an asthma bus that comes to [her] school” as part of the Baltimore City Health Department’s Community Asthma Program. Staff were concerned about her child’s health, which was causing her to miss school days, and got to know Maria and her daughter. Their work together made them recognize that “a lot of the time [her daughter] was sick, it had a lot to do with the environment that [they] were living in and the conditions of [the] home.” These observations led the Health Department staff to refer Maria to BRHP’s Healthy Children Demonstration. 

Community healthcare providers play a key role in the Healthy Children Voucher Demonstration by identifying patients whose needs may be best served by moving and making referrals for enrollment in the Demonstration. By working closely with our health partners, BRHP demonstrates how housing mobility can support families with unique needs and the importance of intersectional cooperation to family wellness.  

 One cornerstone of this project is the conviction that neighborhood and housing conditions affect children’s health outcomes and stress levels, and BRHP strives to ensure that our families with children have the support they need to thrive. Areas of concentrated poverty tend to exhibit greater rates of pest infestations, as well as contain food deserts and older housing stock that often contains lead-based paint— all factors which contribute to health inequities in children. These health challenges contribute to significant differences in quality of life, educational attainment, and health for children throughout their entire lives, affecting mental and physical development. By transitioning from under-resourced areas, families can break cycles of generational poverty and build their own brighter futures while improving their health outcomes.  

As part of a holistic approach to housing, BRHP counseling helps clients prepare for leasing in the private market with a suite of in-house workshops. These workshops include information on financial management, housing search tips, and landlord outreach that can help clients in myriad ways, as well as security deposit assistance. Maria felt like she had “a lot of options and resources and help to navigate the search,” and was able to find “a good fit for [her family]. The home is beautiful…the biggest motivation was the help, it was so easy. You made things—you gave me hope, you really gave me hope.” 

The biggest motivation was the help, it was so easy. You made things—you gave me hope, you really gave me hope.

-Maria S.

For housing providers and public health researchers alike, the Healthy Children Voucher Demonstration is an exciting contribution to a growing body of scholarly literature supporting the impact of housing policies on health outcomes and the importance of housing counseling. For Maria, the program has a more direct impact: Since her move, her family has “been thriving…[her daughter’s] asthma is not severe as it was, and now she’s better due to the fact that we were able to move to a better home and a better environment…it’s a big, fresh relief.”  

Written by — Steven Chen, Communications and Special Projects Intern

Summer is upon us! This July, we are encouraging our stakeholders to stay active, mentally and physically.  It’s well known that regular exercise has a positive impact on health. But what may be less obvious is the role of housing, particularly housing in well-resourced communities, in facilitating both exercise and mental health. In this blog post, we’ll explore some of the ways housing in Opportunity Areas contributes to health outcomes, as well as highlight some ways to get active, both mentally and physically in our region.  

Opportunity Areas, Exercise, and Health 

Where you live plays an important role in facilitating physical and mental health. Housing is one of the social determinants of health, which are factors outside the biological network that affect health outcomes. In fact, housing conditions and socioeconomic factors like distance from grocery stores and stress from the environment affect health and can contribute to many chronic illnesses.

As part of addressing these social determinants, BRHP facilitates expanded housing choice among our participants, helping them access Opportunity Areas: communities with strong job prospects, schools, and amenities, through our Housing Mobility Program. Living in an opportunity area presents increased access to resources that can make it significantly easier to exercise and improve quality of life. Many have parks, trails, or natural areas suitable for hiking and enjoying Maryland’s beautiful environment, or community recreation centers and programs where families and children alike can try new activities and meet new friends. A few of these amenities are highlighted below:   

Carroll County

With 4974 acres of parkland in 30 different parks, Carroll County offers a variety of locations for a hike, playground time, or a family picnic like at Krimgold Park (pictured). On hot days, enjoy educational activities at the Bear Branch Nature Center or check out a free exhibit at the Carroll County Arts Center.

• Park Locator:  https://www.carrollcountymd.gov/government/directory/recreation-parks/places-to-go/parks/

 

Image: The pond at Krimgold Park.

Harford County

Harford County: Harford County has a large network of recreation and nature centers, and nearly 90 parks that span the County. Check out nature activities at the Anita C. Leight Center or the boardwalk at Harford Glen Park (pictured), or plan a family picnic and fun at one of the many green spaces the County has to offer!

• Park Locator: https://www.harfordcountymd.gov/225/Parks-Recreation 

Image: The boardwalk at Harford Glen Park.

Howard County

Howard County features over 50 developed parks, like beautiful Centennial Park (pictured), with miles of trails, various amenities, and play areas that are ready for you and your family to explore.

• Park Locator: https://www.howardcountymd.gov/recreation-parks/parks-playgrounds-trails 

Image: A trail in Howard County’s Centennial Park

Other ways to get active could include checking out a running club, many of which offer free meetups and training. Clubs in Baltimore City or County include A Tribe Called Run, BMore Running, and many other local group runs! Alternatively, find one in Anne Arundel County,  Harford County, or a community in Carroll County or Howard County.

With all the activities and resources out there, it might be hard to decide what to do! BRHP staff share some ideas on how they stay active: 

“I love going out for long rides on my road bike – 25 to 50 mile rides – particularly along trails such as the Baltimore & Annapolis or Northern Central Railroad trail in Maryland, or Old Dominion in Virginia.” – Adria 

“I’m a big fan of enjoying our area lakes and Chesapeake Bay beaches to beat the heat. Gunpowder Falls State Park has some wonderful opportunities to enjoy water recreations or the trails.” – Emily    

“I love stretching in the park or going for walks around my neighborhood. Seeing everyone’s stoop gardens, watching the fireflies and getting outside helps me feel grounded amidst the busyness of life.” – Jackie 
 

Beyond the physical, opportunity areas have resources to help train your brain. As the summer days grow long, consider visiting your local library to pick up a new novel or learn a new skill. All libraries have youth and child programs to encourage reading and computer-based courses for all ages. Some, like the Enoch Pratt Library in Baltimore, even offer certificates in coding, foreign languages, and other areas. Many libraries, like the East Columbia and Savage libraries in Howard County, also have additional resources like STEM learners’ kits or musical instruments. Community organizations and nature centers, like Bear Branch Nature Center in Carroll County or the Anita C. Leight Center in Harford County, have playgrounds and nature areas as well as activities like crafting, birdwatching, or nature walks that blend physical and mental exercise with family fun and relaxation.  

Find Your Local Library!

• Anne Arundel County Public Libraries: https://www.aacpl.net/
• Baltimore City/Enoch Pratt Library System – https://www.prattlibrary.org/
• Baltimore County Library system: https://www.bcpl.info/
• Carroll County Public Library system: https://library.carr.org/
• Harford County Public Library System: https://www.hcplonline.org/
• Howard County Public Library System: https://hclibrary.org/

Remarkably, mental health can also have physical manifestations, as seen in a study of asthma attacks in families from opportunity and non-opportunity areas BRHP helped conduct with researchers at Johns Hopkins University that was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Living in an opportunity area and experiencing lower neighborhood stress led to a 54% reduced rate of asthma attacks in children who moved from non-opportunity to opportunity areas according to the study.

As parents, caretakers, and children feel more at ease in opportunity areas, they are better able to focus on reaching their full potential, physically and mentally. BRHP’s Housing Mobility Program looks to extend these benefits to families with low incomes who have historically been excluded from housing in opportunity areas and give them a fair chance to transition to these vibrant communities, where they can truly thrive.  

Written by — Steven Chen, Communication and Special Projects Intern

On July 11, Baltimore Regional Housing Partnership (BRHP) Executive Director Adria Crutchfield joined PhD economist and freelance economic policy consultant Dr. Kathryn Anne Edwards to discuss the childcare crisis in the United States as part of the ongoing BRHP In Conversation series designed to introduce relevant experts and information to stakeholders and community members. The main topics of the conversation included explanations of the root of childcare inaccessibility in the United States, the harmful effects of inadequate or absent childcare on mothers and children, the importance of investing in children, and potential solutions to this crisis. I was impressed by Dr. Edwards’ compelling explanation of the widespread impacts of expanding affordable childcare for families, women, and children – issues critical to BRHP’s work serving more than 4,300 families in their Housing Mobility Program, which includes nearly 8,000 children. 

Dr. Edwards expertly described the foundation of what the national childcare crisis entails and who it harms most. In the United States, childcare is offered by a private market, Dr. Edwards explained, meaning childcare must be profitable; unfortunately, this market has been in decline and in failure for decades. She argued that the root of the childcare crisis is inaccessibility due to the commodification of childcare, “when you make a commodity of caring for children, you are guaranteeing that the access is unequal.” For example, “the price of childcare has risen faster, over the past 30 years, than medical care, housing, food, energy, and even prescription drugs,” and currently, “the average mortgage payment in the United States is less than the average childcare payment,” said Dr. Edwards, mentioning that it is often easier for families to purchase houses than secure quality childcare. I was surprised at this poignant comparison given BRHP’s extensive knowledge of housing market failures. The absurdly prohibitive costs of childcare make accessing it fundamentally unequal, “because we are selling high-quality early childhood development, and people who want to buy it can’t.”  

Because of BRHP’s involvement in the housing market and related policies, I found the juxtaposition of the two markets especially intriguing. Dr. Edwards focused on a similar policy choice in the United States to rely on the free market to provide both resources. In both cases, the United States relies on the market to provide most of the supply while the government offers subsidies and direct services only at the margins. There are numerous policies the government could enact to improve the housing market supply and access; for example, the government could expand the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program, develop and fund more affordable housing and affordable mortgages, or even increase funding for housing vouchers to meet the actual need¹  – but Dr. Edwards contended that while the housing market is large and functional enough to work with additional government investment, the same cannot be said for childcare.   

The childcare market is a complete failure that must be entirely replaced with a new model that relies on government investment to ensure equal access to needed care. Unfortunately, Dr. Edwards remarked that there is no market solution for childcare, because there are no ways for quality childcare practices to evolve to be less resource-intense; “children need the eyes, ears, and attention of a capable adult. That is expensive, there is no other way to make it cheaper or more efficient,” Dr. Edwards explained. The housing market could easily produce sufficient housing supply at different price points, using various structures, and located across a city. Childcare, on the other hand, should be more equitable, meaning there should not be a massive price dispersion nor significant differences in these experiences since all children need and benefit from a baseline of early education.  

I found Dr. Edwards’ point about the impacts of the childcare crisis on families, especially women in the workforce, extremely compelling; particularly how she linked gender roles in childcare and the labor market to the need for affordable, equitable, and accessible childcare. She framed the recent mass exodus of women from the labor market, due to historic discrimination and gender-based wage gaps, as a loss of years of income tax contributions. Access to quality affordable childcare allows parents and families to work more consistently – particularly mothers. It would allow them to increase their savings and disposable income without the restrictive cost of childcare, instead spending that money on other necessities, and to provide equitable access to early childhood interventions and education for all children. Dr. Edwards explained that “when kids enter kindergarten at age five, economic inequality has already been imprinted,” as demonstrated by the 30-40% of five-year-olds who are not prepared for kindergarten like their peers. If every child is part of an early educational program through affordable and equitable childcare, it is easier to catch developmental delays sooner. The economic benefits to early childcare are clear. High-quality care is an investment in children’s education and development that is a direct investment in the future workforce, and the current workforce by enabling parents to work and earn higher incomes that provide for improved family outcomes.  

Dr. Edwards confirmed Adria’s suggestion that historical discrimination and racism keeping Black and Brown households out of the housing market and excluded from wealth-building endeavors extends to the childcare crisis. “Black and brown women are disproportionately affected,” Dr. Edwards stated, because “resources determine the quality of care,” and these groups have been denied necessary resources for decades, preventing access to adequate housing options and high-quality childcare alike. 

Despite the grim nature of the childcare crisis and its harmful impacts, I was inspired and made hopeful by Dr. Edwards’ discussion of the beneficial models already in action at the state and local levels, and even among neighboring countries, from which the United States can draw. New Mexico added permanent funding for universal access to childcare in their constitution; although the supply has been insufficient for the demand, this model offers a good start to alleviating childcare concerns. D.C. provides universal access to early education and childcare for three to four-year-olds; however, D.C. is both a model and a cautionary tale, according to Dr. Edwards, since their programs upended the private childcare market for infants up to three years old, and they have the longest childcare waitlist and most expensive care across the nation. On the other hand, Canada utilizes a capped cost system, covering the remaining costs after parents pay a capped fee, allowing families to dictate their preferred type of care. This model makes the most sense for the United States to follow, suggested Dr. Edwards. 

Ultimately, Dr. Edwards’ informative discussion made clear that the United States must recognize the connection between economic prosperity and access to childcare and make the needed investment to create a public childcare system for all, not only as an important public service but for the sake of the national economy.  

1. “Due to severe underfunding, just one out of every four income eligible households receives the help it needs from federal housing assistance” (Mazzara, 2021). Out of Reach 2024 Report, National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) 

Want to catch the full conversation? Take a moment to watch the full replay on our YouTube channel!

Written by — Jackie Rittenhouse, Communications and Special Projects Intern

On Tuesday, August 15^th, BRHP hosted U.S. Senator for Maryland, Chris Van Hollen, in our office for a discussion on housing programs and the critical role BRHP plays in the housing mobility community. Senator Van Hollen is a long-time champion of housing mobility approaches and expanding and protecting affordable housing. 

Senator Van Hollen discussed his work on the HUD Community Choice Demonstration (originally called the Housing Mobility Demonstration Act) and his current work on the Family Stability and Opportunity Vouchers Act, which would create 250, 000 new housing mobility vouchers to help families move to areas with greater opportunity. The bipartisan bill is aimed at improving the lives of families with young children and would increase access to mobility vouchers while providing counseling services, similar to BRHP’s proven method of combining client counseling with housing mobility vouchers. Senator Van Hollen also talked about the importance of having bipartisan support for housing mobility and housing funding.  

Members of BRHP’s Client Advisory Board (CAB) also shared their experiences with BRHP’s housing mobility program. Monica Braxton shared the positive impact of moving into an opportunity area for her and her family, discussing her pride and comfort in her new community. Mykki Scott shared how BRHP staff had assisted in navigating an unexpected move during the COVID-19 pandemic.  Zelda Tally shared the opportunities that BRHP’s program provided, and the ability to give her children access to education and other resources that would help her family build long-term, generational success.   

BRHP’s Managing Director of Operations and Program Evaluation, Pete Cimbolic, shared BRHP’s recent milestones, notably in achieving a full 98% voucher utilization rate, compared to an 88% average in Maryland and 85% nationwide. Pete emphasized the role of flexible funding in helping agencies achieve higher utilization rates, noting how BRHP flexible funding not only helps clients with security deposits and other financial barriers related to moving into a new community, but also helps BRHP gain and maintain a network of property partners to ensure a supply of quality homes for BRHP participants. The importance of flexible funding was further reinforced by a BRHP program participant who shared how BRHP helped her move despite a landlord wrongfully withholding her security deposit. To this end, Janet Abrahams, the CEO for the Housing Authority of Baltimore City, urged the Senator to lend his support to a recent Senate appropriations bill seeking an extension for flexible funding for public housing agencies.  Rounding out the conversation was one of BRHP’s property partners, Dana Johnson, CEO of Homes for America, who raised the need for continued support of financial vehicles that allow for the expansion of the affordable housing supply in the region. 

BRHP thanks Senator Van Hollen for his fierce advocacy for housing mobility initiatives and in creating opportunities for families in Maryland and across the country to thrive. 

Steven Chen, Communications Intern  

On April 20, 2023, the Baltimore Regional Housing Partnership had the honor of hosting Demetria L. McCain for our BRHP In Conversation series which aims to share and discuss ideas related to housing equity and justice with housing mobility groups, activists, policymakers, and tenants alike. Demetria is the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (FHEO) at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). During the conversation, Deputy Assistant Secretary McCain discussed not only the roles and responsibilities of the HUD’s Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, but also the importance of everyone’s voice in ensuring all comply with fair housing laws.  

April 2023 marks 55 years since the signing of the Fair Housing Act on April 11, 1968, and while progress has been made, there is still much to do to further equitable housing.   

One key takeaway from the discussion was the importance of addressing intersectional discrimination. Deputy Assistant Secretary McCain described how discrimination has traditionally been framed in a list of set categories, such as race, gender identity, or national origin, for example, but that it is important to recognize that these categories may not always translate directly to cases of discrimination experienced in the real world. Discrimination may target a combination of factors within these categories, and often takes less-obvious forms, such as lack of training to accommodate disability in both private and public institutions. She also mentioned the restoration of HUD’s “Discriminatory Effects” rule, which aims to combat systemic inequalities and discrimination regardless of whether these inequalities were the products of discriminatory intent. McCain also mentioned that April was Second Chance Month, an effort to raise awareness about specific challenges facing those who were formerly incarcerated.  

The conversation also touched on the importance of legislature, both in promoting public interest relief and in stimulating further action. While the FHEO does assist with individual interest relief, Deputy Assistant Secretary McCain underscored the importance of public interest relief in the form of policy that would protect and reinforce fair and equitable housing practices. Recent Presidential memos and even Executive Orders, notably the Executive Order on Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government, have made important inroads towards promoting housing equity and antidiscrimination practices on a federal level. Still, there is more work to be done to create a fairer system.  

Deputy Assistant Secretary McCain echoed the importance of public action, which forms an important part of the fight for equitable housing. In conjunction with legislation and programs promoting equitable housing, we can also play an important role as individuals in promoting and refining fair housing programs across the United States. Public involvement comes in many forms, ranging from discussion of fair housing issues with family and friends, to feedback for FHEO programs and providing public comments on proposed rules. Indeed, McCain mentioned the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking titled Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing, which was in its public comment period at the time, and would implement the Fair Housing Act’s mandate to take proactive action towards fair housing and foster communities free from discrimination. Getting involved helps both improve proposed legislation and helps bring the issue of equitable housing – an issue that affects millions of Americans – into the public eye.  

For more detail into all this and more, we encourage you to check out the full recording at BRHP In Conversation With Demetria McCain 

For Immediate Release: Tuesday, May 16, 2023

Baltimore, MD – A new study analyzing data from families in the Baltimore Regional Housing Partnership highlights the potential for housing mobility programs to help improve childhood asthma.

The Baltimore Regional Housing Partnerships’ housing mobility program provides rental assistance in the form of a Housing Choice Voucher and housing counseling that helps families overcome barriers to leasing quality housing in well-resourced neighborhoods. The study published online May 16, 2023, in the Journal of American Medical Association, is based on data from 123 children ages 5 to 17 who participated in the housing mobility program between 2016 and 2020.

The majority of children (47.2%) were female and 120 (97.6%) identify as Black. The median age was 8.4. On average, participants experienced substantial improvements and reduced the odds of having an asthma attack by more than 50 percent. The study was led by Craig Pollack, MD, a professor with joint
appointments at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing.

Asthma is a chronic lung disease that affects millions of children worldwide, causing wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath, and chest tightness. Children living in high-poverty neighborhoods have a greater risk of experiencing asthma symptoms due to exposure to environmental pollutants, mold, pests, and neighborhood-related stress.

The study highlights the importance of providing families with better housing opportunities. In addition to reducing asthma morbidity, the study found that moving from a high-poverty neighborhood helped decrease stress levels among parents/caregivers. Parents and caregivers participating in the study
reported feeling safer and more connected to their surroundings after the move. This study adds to the evidence that housing mobility programs improve more than just living conditions – they improve public health.

“The lower number of asthma attacks after families move reinforces that where people live matters for their health,” said lead author Pollack, the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and School of Nursing professor. “Importantly, changes in stress and safety were a key factor in these asthma
improvements.”

Housing mobility programs were designed to address historic and contemporary housing discrimination that have resulted in racial and ethnic segregation, depleted segregated neighborhoods of opportunities to generate wealth, and contributed to unhealthy and stressful living conditions. The study’s findings underscore the value of interdisciplinary research in addressing complex social issues, such as housing and health disparities.

“For years we have heard anecdotally of the health improvements experienced by our clients after they move with the program, particularly around asthma”, said Pete Cimbolic, Managing Director at BRHP and co-author of the study. “The change in neighborhood context for these families has proven to have significant impacts on both the asthma of children, but also the stress of caregivers”. The results suggest that similar programs should be implemented nationwide to improve public health and create more equitable communities. BRHP is committed to improving the well-being of the most
vulnerable populations.

For more information about the study, please contact:
Baltimore Regional Housing Partnership Press Contact: TaKera Boston, tboston@brhp.org, 667-207-2170

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