Publication Date: 
Wednesday, July 31, 2019

The Problem: The shortage of adequate, affordable housing can create pockets of concentrated poverty, exposing children and others to lead and other pathogens, which affects the health of children and families. The Urban Institute. Research on Record: Housing. Also, housing expenses draw resources away from health expenditures (e.g., nutritious food and healthcare). CDC and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Healthy Housing Reference Manual. 

The Law: States and localities have attempted to address the inadequate supply of affordable housing and its associated harms by facilitating the creation of mixed income housing developments through a number of legal mechanisms.  Mixed-income housing developments provide affordable housing for low-income residents in rental units that are interspersed with market-rate housing.  Laws promote mixed-income housing developments by subsidizing the construction of multi-family residences and reserving a portion of units for low-income residents at affordable prices. Hope VI is federal housing program that funds mixed-income housing fully or in partnership with private developers. HOPE VI Revitalization Notices of Funds Availability24 C.F.R. 941.600. Some municipalities have used zoning law to increase mixed income housing. For example,  Sacramento, Calif. ( Sacramento City Code § 17.190.030) and Burlington, Vt. (Burlington Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance §§ 9.1-9.2)) have inclusionary zoning requirements that require that a certain percentage of new housing units are affordable to low-income residents.

The Evidence: In a Community Guide review, Anderson et. al. could not find any qualifying studies that measured the impact of mixed-income housing developments in creating and maintaining safe and affordable housing for low-income residents. Anderson LM, et al. Providing affordable family housing and reducing residential segregation by income: a systematic review. Am J Prev Med. 2003;24(3S):S47-67. As a result, the reviewers could not ascertain the effectiveness of mixed-income housing developments as a public health intervention.

The Bottom Line: In the judgment of a Community Guide expert panel, there is currently insufficient evidence to establish the effectiveness of mixed income housing as a public health intervention.

Impact: Uncertain