Topic

Health

The health of individuals and the health of communities are linked in so many ways, from zoning to access to fresh food, safe housing, safe streets and parks, and proper medical care. How is this growing realization affecting practice for both community development organizations and health care organizations? What does it take for these two separate worlds to partner toward shared goals?

Photo courtesy Albany Victory Gardens

Subtopics

Social Determinants of HealthHealth Sector PartnershipsCOVIDHealthy Housing

The Latest

Massachusetts Advocates Push for Medicaid-Funded Assisted Living

June 2, 2026 | James A. Lomastro

By funding nursing homes but not assisted living, Medicaid often steers older adults into costlier and more restrictive care than they need. Lawmakers can fix that.

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Health

Accessible Housing Is Not Just About How Buildings Are Built

June 20, 2023 | Miriam Axel-Lute

The ways in which buildings are managed after they are built also affects how accessible and inclusive they are.

A large open space with a staircase that has multicolored balusters. At left is a large mural of people with different skin tones and in front of it is a person holding a small child. Dual handrails on staircase ensure adult and child can safely use stairs by holding height appropriate handrails. There’s another small child, this one on crutches, and a woman in white is crouching beside him. There’s a man on the landing of the staircase and a small girl climbing the steps. Behind her is a woman carrying a bag or briefcase and drinking from a cup.
From the Field

Cross-Disability Design Makes Housing Better for Everyone

June 13, 2023 | Fatimah Aure and Caroline Bas

Affordable housing projects should incorporate a range of accessibility features, going above and beyond code requirements.

Six disabled people of color smile and pose in front of a concrete wall. Five people stand in the back, with the Black woman in the center holding up a chalkboard sign reading "disabled and here." A South Asian person in a wheelchair sits in front.
Housing

Which U.S. Laws Require Accessibility in Housing—And How Well Do They Do?

June 12, 2023 | Meir Rinde

Activists have been fighting for decades to expand accessible housing for disabled residents. They’ve made progress, but say that current regulations and enforcement don’t go far enough.

A composite picture that includes blueprint-style drawings on blue, a row of apartments in pink and a tall tower in blue. Large figures are a smiling young woman with long black hair and a smiling young man in a wheelchair. Smaller images include people with canes and in wheelchairs, and two men seated on a bench at a bus stop, the older one wearing dark glasses and holding a cane.
Editor’s Note

Disability Justice and Equity in Housing

June 12, 2023 | Miriam Axel-Lute

Welcome to Shelterforce’s newest Under the Lens series, Not Just Ramps—Disability and Housing Justice. This introductory article lays out why the connection between disability and affordable housing is so strong, and why it’s so important for housers to understand.

A senior Black woman wearing top and pants in shades of pink with a dark gray sweater, and wearing a surgical mask, sits in an armchair facing a home healthcare nurse. She is Black, with very short hair and wearing black-rimmed glasses, blue scrub top; also wearing a surgical mask and stethoscope, and carrying a clipboard or tablet. On the wall behind the seated woman is a bright blue artwork.
From the Field

How States Can Use Medicaid to Address Housing Costs

June 5, 2023 | Dori Glanz Reyneri

New federal guidance enables states to use Medicaid dollars to support housing needs.

An early 1900s three- or four-story hotel on a street corner, seen from street level against a bright blue cloudless sky. Built of pink sandstone with light green trim. The ground floor has businesses; the sidewalk is crowded with parked scooters and a red cafe umbrella.
From the Field

What LA’s New Shelter Program Can Learn from Statewide Efforts

May 12, 2023 | Nichole Fiore and Tara Reed

As LA’s Inside Safe program works to transition unhoused Angelenos from hotels into permanent housing, its leaders should look to California’s Project Roomkey for lessons.

A group of people standing on steps, most holding signs saying "Yes on Rent Control" while at left a man speaks into a microphone. Behind the people, faintly visible, is a large holiday tree with red and silver ornaments.
From the Field

How We Won Rent Control in Pasadena, California

April 21, 2023 | Ryan Bell

Never underestimate the power of—and need for—a ground game.

View of St. Louis from afar, with the arch at far right.
Health

The Real Reason Why Babies at a St. Louis Public Housing Complex Weren’t Sleeping on Their Own

February 28, 2023 | Amanda Abrams

When a St. Louis-based group convened public housing residents to talk about infant mortality, they discovered a serious housing issue that affected tenants’ health. To the organization’s credit, they didn’t turn away from the problem.

Eight people stand in a row on the spotlit stage facing the audience. Two have their hands together as if thanking the audience. Two audience members can be seen in silhouette at the front of the auditorium.
Arts & Culture

Navigating the End of the Eviction Moratorium in New York City Through Theater

January 3, 2023 | Marielle Argueza

A participatory theatrical arts group takes on tenant and landlord woes, and brings the audience into the action.

A patchwork map of the continental U.S., with a different fabric for each state. Some fabrics are solids, some prints, tending toward stylized florals. The state lines have been embroidered with contrasting thread colors.
State & Local Policy

What Are Your Landlord’s Legal Obligations? Depends on Where You Live

November 29, 2022 | Minhae Shim Roth

Landlord-tenant relations are governed by a mix of laws at all levels of government and can vary a lot.

An ad for Shelterforce's webinar, "Fighting Back Against Corporate Landlords." We had four speakers.
Interview

Fighting Back Against Corporate Landlords—A Shelterforce Webinar

November 22, 2022 | Miriam Axel-Lute

Shelterforce recently hosted a conversation about how to fight, and win, against corporate landlords and their extractive business models. Watch the video or read the transcript.

One man holds a microphone and raises his other hand while speaking outside, and behind him, a person holds a white and black sign.
Tenant Organizing

Organized Tenants Are Baaaaack

November 21, 2022 | Shelby R. King

After a lull in the 1990s, the tenants rights movement reemerged and has only gained strength. What caused the resurgence and what do tenants’ prospects look like?