Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Highlights Four Ways Health and Housing Are Interconnected

We are sharing the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s annual message because it is centered on the intersection between access to housing and healthcare. People with disabilities have greater challenges accessing housing and healthcare compared to their peers without disabilities, and these challenges compound each other. ANCOR members who have expressed an interest in housing policy might find this resource informative.

The annual message highlights four housing trends which affect health:

• A 45 percent increase in “extremely poor” neighborhoods from 2010-2014, where the stability of housing and over-crowding can be issues.
• Quality of housing can lead to health complications, such as asthma due to exposure to mold and dampness.
• Housing is less affordable – over 50 percent of households pay more than half of their income for housing, leading to less funds available for health care needs.
• Approximately 6,300 people a day are evicted from their homes, leading to damaged credit and severed social ties.

The message also explores improving generational wealth and community investment, both issues that are deeply relevant to the disability community.