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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Housing and homelessness

Mississippi Delta Town Makes Way for Hope—and Better Health
Describes efforts to revitalize the rural Delta community of Drew, Mississippi, a recipient of the 2020-2021 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Culture of Health prize. Discusses the work of community organizations to address persistent poverty, create safe housing, improve public spaces, and increase access to healthcare through mobile clinics.
Date: 2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
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Home Modification and Repair Services and Needs in Indian Country
Discusses the importance of home modifications and repairs to promote successful aging in place and independent living, with a focus on tribal elders. Describes the types of home modification and repair services offered by Title VI Native American Aging Programs, funding sources, and unmet needs and barriers to services.
Date: 2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: University of Southern California Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, USAging
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Health Disparities Report 2021
Report examining health disparity trends based on data from America's Health Rankings reports. Offers reports by state and discusses disparities related to social and economic factors, physical environment, clinical care, behaviors, and health outcomes. Most state reports offer data comparisons by metro and non-metro residence.
Additional links: Executive Brief, State Summaries
Date: 2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: United Health Foundation
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Rural Housing Symposium: Recovery Through Resiliency
Video recording of the 2020 Rural Housing Conference that covers discussions on long-term trends and recent changes in rural housing due to the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting economic impacts, recovery pathways, and policy collaboration on a variety of topics to build rural resiliency. Includes 7 sessions available for viewing.
Date: 12/2020
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: Housing Assistance Council
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To Improve Rural Health Equity, Invest in Housing, Water, and Food Access
Discusses proven solutions state and federal policymakers can adopt to promote health equity in rural communities by focusing on investments in water, housing, and food access.
Author(s): Amanda Gold, Jorge Morales-Burnett, Corianne Payton Scally
Date: 11/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Urban Institute
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Association Between Social Vulnerability and a County's Risk for Becoming a COVID-19 Hotspot — United States, June 1–July 25, 2020
Examines associations between social vulnerability and COVID-19 hotspot locations, based on June 1–July 25, 2020 county-level COVID-19 cases and data from the 2018 CDC social vulnerability index. Includes data by level of urbanicity for large metropolitan, small/medium metro, and nonmetro counties. Looks at both social vulnerability overall and specific components, including racial/ethnic minority population, percent of residents who speak English less than well, and housing and transportation vulnerability.
Author(s): Sharoda Dasgupta, Virginia B. Bowen, Andrew Leidner, et al.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 69(42), 1535-1541
Date: 10/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Health Equity Report 2019-2020: Special Feature on Housing and Health Inequalities
Provides an overview of the Health Resources and Services Administration's (HRSA) program efforts in reducing health disparities and promoting health equity for various populations at the national, state, and local levels. Chapter 10 addresses rural-urban health disparities, with a focus on rural housing inequities and the opioid epidemic, and describes Federal Office of Rural Health Policy programs.
Date: 10/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Health Resources and Services Administration
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The Impact of Coronavirus on Households in Rural America
Reports on the experiences of rural households during the COVID-19 pandemic. Discusses impacts on finances, employment, healthcare, housing, food, and child care. Concerns related to healthcare include access to care during the pandemic, concerns for those with special health issues such as chronic conditions, and use of telehealth.
Date: 10/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, National Public Radio, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
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The Unseen Picture: Issues with Health Care, Discrimination, Police and Safety, and Housing Experienced by Native American Populations in Rural America
Report presents a study on the experiences of rural Native American adults related to housing, discrimination, policing, and healthcare access, quality, and affordability. Compares the experiences of rural Native American and rural White adults. Breaks down data by gender, age, and U.S. region, among other measures.
Author(s): Mary T.G. Findling, Robert J. Blendon, John M. Benson, Carolyn Miller
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 38(1), 180-186
Date: 10/2020
Type: Document
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Housing Change and Occupancy in Rural America
Provides an overview of housing occupancy and vacancy in rural America. Offers data on changes in housing availability and demand in rural areas. Includes a chart describing housing structure by rural, suburban, and urban residence status.
Author(s): Keith Wiley
Date: 09/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Housing Assistance Council
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