Department Of Housing Research Articles

Environmental Health Risk Assessment in Tabing Banda Gadang Subdistrict, Padang City

Sanitation problems in Indonesia still involve deviant social behavior, namely defecation habits anywhere. According to World Health Organization, around 2.5 billion people worldwide do not have access to proper sanitation facilities. Indonesia itself is ranked second after India, with a high number of people still defecating in the open; this is due to people's habits, which are very difficult to change because they have been inherited. The use of surface water sources, namely river water, with physical water quality that does not meet requirements, the absence of facilities for wastewater disposal, and the absence of household waste management can cause health hazards to the environment. The research aims to know the risky health environment in the sub-district Tabing Banda Gadang, Padang City. Study method This Quantitative nature descriptive analytic with approach Studies Evaluation Risk Health Environment is a participatory study to understand the condition of sanitation and hygiene facilities and community behaviors at the household scale, the results of data processing and analysis that can describe the determination of risk areas from each region to the village/sub-district level. The results of the study found that the risk areas were Water Sources with results of Not enough risk (value 28), Domestic Wastewater with Medium risk (value 68), Medium Risk Waste (value 51), high risk of waterlogging (value 58) and Clean and Healthy Living Behavior is not enough risky (value 32) it can be concluded that the sanitation risk index of Tabing Banda Gadang Village is included in the Current Risk with a value of 237. Tabing Banda Gadang Village is at high risk of waterlogging, so it is recommended that the Village facilitate the construction of drainage by coordinating with the Department of Housing and Public Works to resolve the waterlogging problem.

Housing and children’s social care in England: learning from embedded research

The UK housing crisis is having a detrimental impact on the lives of families. However, in England the links between housing and Children’s Social Care remain poorly understood. This paper draws upon 24 months of embedded research within Torbay Council, a Local Authority with comparatively high rates of children in care and acute housing challenges. It includes qualitative data from interviews/focus groups with parents (n = 66); Children’s Services professionals (n = 7), the housing department (n = 2); housing association (n = 2); and staff/volunteers from voluntary and community Sector organisations (n = 28). This study shows that housing circumstances can both trigger crisis situations leading to the involvement of Children’s Services and form a critical element of the complex needs many families in contact with Children’s Services confront. Parents described difficulties demonstrating their parenting abilities to Children’s Services and the Family Courts when living in inadequate housing, or indeed when homeless. This paper recommends better alignment of Housing and Children’s Social Care responses to ensure more effective support for families.

The Participation of Street Food Sellers in Formulating the Policy of Revitalizing the Tegal’s Town Square Area as the Effort to Improve the Opened Green Zone

This research determined the participation of street food sellers in formulating and issuing the policy and determined the hindering factors of revitalization policy in the town square area of Tegal as the effort to improve the opened green zone. This descriptive qualitative research describes a variable in the form of spoken data from the informants and the observed behaviors of the informants. The researchers collected the data by interviewing the civil service police officers, the public work service and spatial planning, the cooperation of SME and trading, the housing and residential department, and the association of street food sellers; documenting; and studying the works of literature. The results found many regional government organizations participated in the formulation of revitalization policy. Then, they took the responsibility directly to the major of Tegal as the policy- maker of revitalizing the town square area of Tegal. The revitalization ran successfully. The government socialized the policy systematically and involved various actors including the street food sellers. However, from the eight socialization stage meetings for the street food sellers, only three socialization stages involved and coordinated with the street food sellers. The three meetings shared the divisions and relocation sites of the sellers, instruction, and empowerment. The revitalization of the green town square area also encountered some hindrances, such as limited socialization, lack of street seller confidence, and less representative relocated sites.

Retaining HUD-VASH housing: differences in housing exits among unsheltered and sheltered veterans

ABSTRACT Introduction: Permanent supportive housing programs, such as the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development-Veteran Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH), are a highly important intervention to address homelessness among Veterans. Unsheltered Veterans are a priority population for HUD-VASH because this group is especially vulnerable and may face higher risk of exit from HUD-VASH. Method: We developed a 6-year retrospective (2012–2018) longitudinal cohort to compare whether previously unsheltered Veterans had a greater risk of exit from HUD-VASH housing compared to previously sheltered Veterans. Result: Veterans experiencing unsheltered homelessness had a significantly higher risk of exiting HUD-VASH housing (HR 1.1; 1.1–1.2) than sheltered Veterans. Conclusion: Veterans experiencing unsheltered homelessness had higher risk of exiting HUD-VASH housing. These findings may have implications for unsheltered non-Veterans, and people experiencing unsheltered homelessness may benefit from a tailored approach to supportive services to prevent housing exits.

Is federal housing assistance associated with earlier-stage cancer diagnosis? Evidence from the new SEER-Medicare and US Department of Housing and Urban Development data linkage.

85 Background: Despite growing awareness that stable and affordable housing is a key social determinant of health, little research has examined the role of federal housing assistance in cancer outcomes. This study uses a novel data linkage to examine the association of federal housing assistance (i.e. various rent subsidy programs) on stage at diagnosis for the 4 most common cancers in the US. Methods: Individuals aged 66-95 years newly diagnosed with breast, colorectal, non-small cell lung (NSCLC) or prostate cancer in 2006-2019 with fee-for-service coverage were selected from SEER-Medicare Housing and Urban Development (HUD) administrative data. After identifying individuals with housing assistance at diagnosis, controls without housing assistance at diagnosis were propensity score matched in a 3:1 ratio by cancer site, age, sex, race/ethnicity, marital status, registry, year of diagnosis, area-level Yost socioeconomic status index, dual Medicaid eligibility, rural/urban residence, reason for Medicare entitlement, and pre-diagnosis comorbidity. Associations of housing assistance and diagnosis stage (SEER summary stage: localized vs. regional/distant) were examined with separate logistic regression models by cancer type. Results: A total of 7335 individuals with breast, 5660 with colorectal, 7399 with NSCL and 4309 with prostate cancer received housing assistance at diagnosis (Table). Compared to matched controls, a smaller percentage of individuals with housing assistance were diagnosed with regional/distant breast (36% vs. 33%), colorectal (59% vs. 57%), and NSCL (71% vs. 69%) cancers. Individuals receiving housing assistance were less likely to be diagnosed with later-stage breast (OR: 0.87; 95% CI: 0.83, 0.92) and NSCL (OR: 0.93; 95% CI: 0.88, 0.99) cancers. Housing assistance was not significantly associated with stage for individuals with colorectal or prostate cancers. Conclusions: Federal housing assistance is associated with earlier-stage breast and NSCL cancer diagnosis, highlighting its potential role in mitigating the adverse effects of housing insecurity on cancer outcomes. Housing assistance and cancer diagnosis stage. No Housing Assistance at Dx,N (%) Housing Assistance at Dx,N (%) OR [95% CI], P Breast Localized 14291 (64) 4890 (67) 1.0 (ref) Regional/Distant 8179 (36) 2445 (33) 0.87 [0.83, 0.92] P<0.001 Colorectal Localized 7046 (42) 2422 (43) 1.0 (ref) Regional/Distant 9934 (59) 3238 (57) 0.95 [0.89, 1.01] P=0.09 NSCLC Localized 6572 (30) 2298 (31) 1.0 (ref) Regional/Distant 15625 (71) 5101 (69) 0.93 [0.88, 0.99] P=0.02 Prostate Localized 10293 (80) 3401 (79) 1.0 (ref) Regional/Distant 2634 (20) 908 (21) 1.04 [0.96, 1.14] P=0.33 Dx=Diagnosis; OR=Odds Ratio; CI=Confidence Interval.

Characterizing health-related social needs and their association with medication adherence in a diverse cohort of patients with breast cancer.

139 Background: Food insecurity, housing instability, and transportation challenges are modifiable health-related social needs (HRSN) that have been associated with worse health outcomes in patients with cancer. Nonadherence to medications is also associated with decreased survival and other poor outcomes. Less is known about the association between HRSN and medication adherence in this patient population. Methods: We implemented screening for HRSN among breast oncology patients at our urban academic medical center, primarily through the electronic patient portal. Patients were offered an 8-item HRSN survey with questions covering food insecurity, housing, transportation needs, and emergency department visits. Any level of food hardship, housing instability, or transportation challenges reported during the study period (11/2/22-4/20/24) constituted a positive screen for that HRSN. We also screened patients for nonadherence to medications (any medication) using the 3-item DOSE-Nonadherence questionnaire. Pearson's Chi-squared tests and univariate logistic regressions were used to compare differences between subsets. Results: During the 18-month study period, 2945 patients completed at least 1 item on the HRSN questionnaire, of which 765 (26.0%) screened positive for at least 1 HRSN. Among patients who responded to each HRSN domain, 555/2820 (19.7%) screened positive for food insecurity, 374/2650 (14.1%) for housing instability, and 255/2656 (9.6%) for transportation needs. Food-insecure patients also reported more housing (43.1% v 5.6%, p<0.001) and transportation needs (27.7% v 4.0%, p<0.001) compared to food-secure patients. When comparing the cohort of patients who screened positive for at least 1 HRSN vs those who screened negative, there was a higher proportion of Hispanics (55.3% vs 25.1%, p<0.001), non-Hispanic Blacks (15.3% v 10.0%, p<0.001), and Spanish speakers (41.2% v 17.2%, p<0.001). Patients with any HRSN were more likely to self-report medication nonadherence compared to those with a negative HRSN screen (44.2% v 35.3%, OR 1.45, 95% CI 1.18-1.79). When looking at each individual HRSN domain, food-insecure patients were more likely to self-report medication nonadherence than food-secure patients (45.9% v 35.9%, OR 1.51, CI 1.19-1.92); this was also true for patients with housing instability (45.7% v 36.4%, OR 1.47, CI 1.12-1.92) and transportation needs (49.1% v 36.5%, OR 1.68, CI 1.23-2.31). Conclusions: More than a quarter of breast cancer patients self-reported at least 1 HRSN, with food insecurity being most frequently reported. Patients with at least 1 HRSN had 45% increased odds of medication nonadherence. Further research is warranted to understand the financial, social, psychological, and healthcare-related factors that may underlie this association, and to design interventions targeting at-risk cancer populations.

Abstract A054 Liver cancer mortality by structural disadvantage and race: An analysis of U.S. area-level factors

Abstract Introduction: Racial/ethnic and sex disparities in liver cancer (LC) mortality are well established; yet little is known about the contributions of county-level social risks on these disparities. Methods: We used U.S. national death certificate data from the National Center for Health Statistics (2018-2022) for LC mortality. County-level estimates of income inequality (ratio of household income at the 80th and 20th percentile), and median household income were obtained using the American Community Survey. Severe housing problems (percentage of households with 1 of 4 housing problems: overcrowding, high housing costs, lack of kitchen facilities, or lack of plumbing facilities) were abstracted from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and U.S. Census Bureau. We estimated age-adjusted mortality rates (MR) and MR rate ratios (aRR) across metrics of county-level social risk grouped in quartiles overall and by race/ethnicity. Results: There were 101,088 liver cancer (LC) deaths from 2018-2022 (MR=6.16 per 100,000). Areas of highest county-level income inequality had 31% higher LC mortality compared to areas within the lowest quartile (aRR=1.31). LC MRs were 45% higher in counties with the lowest vs. highest median household income (aRR=1.45). Men and women in the highest quartile of severe housing problems had 29% and 22% higher LC MR (aRR=1.29 and 1.22, respectively), than those in the lowest quartiles. Men and women in the lowest quartile of median household income had 43% and 49% higher LC mortality than those in the highest median income quartiles (aRR=1.43 and 1.49, respectively). Within the highest quartile of income inequality, American Indian/Alaskan Native (AI/AN) persons had the highest LC mortality rates (MR=7.07), followed by Hispanic (MR=6.75), Black (MR=6.48), and Asian (MR=5.83) individuals. Similarly, in the highest quartile of severe housing problems, AI/AN persons had the highest LC mortality rate (MR 7.74), while Hispanic persons had 58% higher MR (MR 7.01), followed by Black (MR=6.19), Asian (MR=5.85) and White (MR=4.07) individuals. In the lowest median household income quartile, compared to White persons (MR=5.91), AI/AN persons had the highest MR (MR=8.86), and Hispanic persons had a 70% increase in mortality (MR=8.48). Among counties with the highest income inequality, compared to White persons (aRR=1.15), Black persons had an 80% increase in mortality (aRR=1.43). For those in the most concentrated quartile of severe housing problems, compared to White persons (aRR=1.07), AI/AN persons had an 80% increase in mortality (MR=1.34).Conclusion: All county-level indicators of highest social risk were associated with greater liver cancer mortality, but do not appear to fully account for racial and ethnic disparities in mortality. Therefore, place- based interventions are needed to address the role of county-level economic attributes in liver cancer mortality disparities. Citation Format: Jennifer K. McGee-Avila, Wayne R. Lawrence, Natalie Joe, Cameron B. Haas, Meredith S Shiels. Liver cancer mortality by structural disadvantage and race: An analysis of U.S. area-level factors [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 17th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2024 Sep 21-24; Los Angeles, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2024;33(9 Suppl):Abstract nr A054.

The Influence of Cultural Heritage Status on the Quality of Life of Slum Settlement Community

Surabaya is a fast-growing city facing challenges in infrastructure development, posing a threat to cultural heritage and historic areas. The Kalimas area has been abandoned, negatively impacting the environment. Cultural heritage is valuable as it instills pride, holds significance in civilization, and can improve the quality of life (QOL). The World Health Organization (WHO) defines the quality of life as an individual's perception of differences in life based on culture and the surrounding environment. This study aims to determine the impact of physical conditions in slum settlements on the QOL of the community and identify the slum settlement variables that can improve residents' QOL. The study uses a quantitative approach with analytical techniques such as literature review and multiple linear regression to analyze land characteristics, socio-economic factors, and physical characteristics. QOL is measured using the WHOQOL questionnaire. The data collection methods include secondary data from the Department of Housing, Settlement Areas and Land, and Bappedalitbang of Surabaya City, as well as primary data from observations, questionnaires, and interviews with the research sample. The results indicate that slum settlement variables significantly affect four domains of QOL: physical health, psychology, environment, and social relationships. However, physical characteristics partially do not affect the psychological, environmental, and social relationship domains.

Korelasi Sistem Pemberian Insentif dan Disiplin Kerja terhadap Kinerja Pegawai Dinas Pekerjaan Umum Penataan Ruang dan Perumahan Rakyat Pemerintah Provinsi Kalimantan Timur

This study aims to analyze the correlation between the incentive system and work discipline on employee performance at the Public Works, Spatial Planning, and Public Housing Department of East Kalimantan Province. The research method used is quantitative, with data collected through questionnaires distributed to 170 employees. Validity and reliability tests showed that the research instruments were valid and reliable. Data analysis was performed using multiple linear regression. The results indicated that both partially and simultaneously, the incentive system and work discipline significantly affect employee performance. The independent variables contributed 14.1% to employee performance, while the remaining 85.9% is influenced by other variables outside this study. This study recommends that management continue to enhance aspects of discipline, cooperation, and employee productivity to improve overall performance .

Examining Health Differences Among Older Adults with Federal Rental Assistance in the United States.

About 1.8 million older adults receive rental assistance in the United States, but surprisingly little is known about their health, especially among the growing number of older housing choice voucher (HCV) holders. This is the first known study to use nationally representative data (2006-2018) from the National Health Interview Survey merged with Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) administrative data to describe the health of older HUD renters (N = 4,582) living in public housing, multifamily housing, or receiving an HCV. Logistic regression models were used to examine potential health differences by HUD program type. Contrary to expectations, the results suggest that older HCV holders were more likely to experience health challenges compared to older adults with project-based assistance. The results bring awareness to the health challenges experienced by older HCV holders and emphasize the need for future research to examine why older HCV holders are more likely to experience these health challenges. Policy makers and program administrators must consider how the HCV program has significantly aged in the past two decades and consider what program and policy changes are necessary to ensure that older adults have access to affordable housing that matches their changing needs and preferences.

“The chaos of not knowing”: Embodied experiences of waiting for public housing redevelopment and relocation

The US Department of Housing and Urban Development has instituted several successive programs to redevelop aging and distressed US public housing. The current program, the Choice Neighborhoods Initiative, aims not only to redevelop housing but also to improve the health of public housing residents through a whole neighborhood transformation, at the cost of privatizing components of housing. In the present case study, we examine relationships and perceptions about public housing redevelopment and health among residents affected by the Sun Valley Choice Neighborhood Initiative in Denver, Colorado. We address how public housing residents experience redevelopment, with particular emphasis on the temporal, physical and embodied mental experience of “waiting” for housing in a community undergoing radical transformation. We understand and conceptualize waiting as the process that generates stressors, and embodiment as the process of internalizing stressors through the mechanism of weathering (Geronimus, 1992; Krieger, 2021). Through repeated interviews with 21 residents, we highlight several themes that tie together experiences of waiting for displacement as well as experiences of stress and uncertainty related to the bureaucracy of public housing redevelopment. We document how participants struggled with the emotional impact of imposed change, found waiting to be destabilizing for their mental health, and how they embodied experiences of displacement anxiety. These findings show how redevelopment projects impose a forced waiting on the state that extends precarity and further destabilizes the lives and mental health of public housing residents.

Developing an institutional control framework for contaminated sites in China: An analytical case study

Institutional controls, as an important measure for risk management of contaminated sites, is widely used in site management by the United States, Canada and European countries. At present, some regions in China have also begun to explore the implementation of institutional controls, but its path, safeguard mechanism, and tracking evaluation are still unclear. Based on China's unique contaminated site remediation control system and land management system, this paper proposes a framework for the whole life cycle institutional controls of China's contaminated sites: (1) evaluate the need for institutional controls; (2) establish the objectives of institutional controls; (3) identify the restrictive requirements of institutional controls; (4) establish the implementation form of institutional controls; and (5) regularly review the effectiveness of institutional controls. To demonstrate the applicability of the institutional control framework, a case demonstration study was conducted at a petrochemical contaminated site in China. By analyzing the information on residual pollutants after the implementation of risk management measures at the site, the exposure pathways and hazards in case of re-release, and the engineering facilities, we proposed eight restrictive requirements, including the prohibition of disturbing and damaging the clean and planted soil layers of the site and the protection of long-term monitoring wells. At the same time, we constructed a multi-departmental pathway to implement institutional controls in conjunction with ecological environment, natural resources and housing departments to ensure effective implementation of institutional controls. Eventually, we summarized a set of replicable and generalizable institutional controls application models, which provide valuable theoretical and practical support for China and other local governments in the implementation of institutional controls at contaminated sites.

WebGIS-Based Land Asset Visualization (Case Study: Pangkep Regency Government)

This study discusses the implementation of e-Government in Pangkep Regency with the aim of improving public services, especially in land asset management. This research responds to requests from the Department of Housing, Settlement Areas and Land (Disperkimtan) by addressing the challenges of complex administrative procedures and increasing public awareness of land asset management. The goal is to design a web-based Land Asset Mapping Information System using WebGIS to simplify administrative processes and increase transparency. This research applies the Rapid Application Development (RAD) method. The results show an effective user interface (UI) in land certificate creation as well as smooth functions in the login and land acquisition process. This system is able to handle user loads well, which is reflected in the user satisfaction rate of 76.4%.

Exploring the association between household compositional change and mobility of subsidized householders in the United States: A life course perspective

ABSTRACT This study examines the relationship between household compositional change and residential mobility of subsidized householders. Data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Annual Longitudinal Files 2005–2018 is used to measure household compositional change and mobility for subsidized householders in the Public Housing and Housing Choice Voucher programs. Householders are 67% more likely to move when a change in household composition occurs. Members entering the household induce larger estimated mobility effects than members exiting the household. Although the odds that a householder move are associated with a household compositional change is greatest in the Housing Choice Voucher program for tenant-based vouchers, there is still a strong association with household compositional changes and mobility in Public Housing and for project-based voucher units where options for mobility are limited. The results have implications for future research on program design factors such as occupancy standards in subsidized housing in the United States.

PENGARUH BUDAYA ORGANISASI, FASILITAS KERJA, DAN DISIPLIN KERJA TERHADAP KINERJA ASN DENGAN KEPUASAN KERJA SEBAGAI VARIABEL INTERVENING PADA KANTOR DPUPP KABUPATEN SITUBONDO

This aims of this research is to determine the influence of organizational culture, work facilities and work discipline on ASN performance through job satisfaction as an intervening variable at the Situbondo Regency DPUPP Office. This research used a quantitative approach which was carried out by distributing questionnaires to 59 ASN employees at the Situbondo Regency Public Works, Housing and Settlements Department. The method of data analysis used in this research is multiple linear regression analysis. The hypothesis test results have a direct effect using the Smart PLS 3.0 application. The results of direct hypothesis testing show that organizational culture has an insignificant effect on job satisfaction, work facilities have an insignificant effect on job satisfaction, work discipline has a significant effect on job satisfaction, organizational culture has an insignificant effect on ASN performance, work facilities have an insignificant effect on ASN performance, Work discipline has a significant effect on ASN performance. Job satisfaction has a significant effect on ASN performance. The results of indirect hypothesis testing show that the organizational culture variable has a negative but not significant effect on ASN performance through job satisfaction, work facilities have a negative but not significant effect on ASN performance through job satisfaction, and work discipline has a significant positive effect on ASN performance through job satisfaction.

Housing, Homelessness, and Mental Health

Homelessness is one of the most significant humanitarian, policy, and public health issues in the United States. People experiencing homelessness are at a heightened risk of various health issues, including severe mental illness, and face a life expectancy up to 30 years shorter than those with stable housing. The US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) defines homelessness as lack of a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence and reports that there has been a steady rise in the number of individuals with mental illness lacking stable housing, far outpacing the capacity of available services. Despite the importance of housing for mental health, psychiatrists are often ill-equipped to intervene on this key social determinant of health. This article reviews underlying factors contributing to homelessness for individuals with mental illness, details clinical ramifications of homelessness, and outlines evidence-based interventions for supporting people experiencing homelessness and psychiatric illness. [ Psychiatr Ann. 2024;54(7):e202–e208.]

Extended foster care and homelessness: Assessing the impact of the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act on rates of homelessness among youth

Youth aging out of foster care experience high rates of homelessness during young adulthood. This study assessed the impact of states’ extension of foster care through age 21 under the federal Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008 on state-level rates of homelessness among all youth ages 18–24, which we used as a proxy to assess impact on the legislation’s target population. To do so, we leveraged data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Census Bureau and several other publicly available data sources to construct a novel state-level panel dataset that allowed us to capture changes in rates of homelessness among youth ages 18–24 and extended foster care policies in all 50 states for the eight-year period from 2013 to 2020. Employing a difference-in-difference approach, we found evidence of an anticipated lagged effect of extended foster care, wherein the implementation of extended foster care is associated with a 23 % reduction in the total rate of youth homelessness four years later. This effect persists in years five to six after states adopt this policy change. We found no evidence of a similar effect of extended foster care on rates of homelessness among persons not between the ages of 18–24. Our findings provide important evidence about the impact of the Fostering Connections Act and suggest that extending the age of foster care eligibility may create important safety nets and pathways that support a reduction in rates of homelessness among former foster youth.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in paired tap water and house dust from United States homes

Most people in the United States have been exposed to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) which have been linked to a wide array of adverse health conditions in adults and children. The consumption of contaminated drinking water is an important human exposure pathway to PFAS. Residential sources also contribute to PFAS exposure through dermal contact and ingestion of house dust, which acts as an aggregate of chemicals from sources like furnishing materials and consumer products. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) conducted the first nationwide survey of residential hazards called the American Healthy Homes Survey (AHHS) in 2005, followed by a second survey (AHHS II) in 2017. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) collaborated with HUD on both efforts and subsequently analyzed PFAS in household tap water and house dust collected from the same homes during the AHHS II study. This study leverages these paired samples to investigate potentially important exposure sources and pathways in the residential environment. Here we report results for paired household tap water and house dust samples from 241 homes for 13 and 16 PFAS chemicals, respectively. All 13 targeted chemicals were detected in the household tap water samples with detections ranging from 100 % for PFBS to 1 % for PFNS, and all 16 targeted chemicals were detected in the house dust samples with detections ranging from 97 % for PFOA to 9 % for PFNS. Four chemicals (PFOA, PFOS, PFHxS, and PFHpA) were measured above the limit of detection in at least 50 % of the samples in both media. All households had at least one of the targeted PFAS detected in both their tap water and house dust. Results provided evidence that geographical factors, such as proximity to ambient contamination sources, were main drivers of PFAS contamination in tap water, while PFAS contamination in house dust was driven mainly by within-home sources. Exposure estimates calculated from the measured PFAS concentrations highlight the importance of addressing potential sources of exposure to PFAS within homes in addition to ambient sources affecting communities’ drinking water, particularly to reduce children’s exposure to these chemicals.

Disproportionate Increases in Numbers and Rates of Homelessness Among Women in the United States, 2018-2022.

Information about homelessness among women is conflicting. We examined changes in the number and rate of various types of homelessness among females in multiple population groups from 2018 through 2022. We used 5 years of population data (2018-2022) from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). We performed descriptive analyses to examine changes in rates of homelessness over time and differences in rates of homelessness between general and veteran populations. From 2018 through 2022, there were major increases in rates of unsheltered homelessness among females (25.1%) and males (17.3%) in the general population, which outpaced increases in general population birth rates. Although the percentage change in the proportion of females among all people experiencing unsheltered homelessness grew by 4.0%, the proportion of females among all veterans experiencing unsheltered homelessness grew by 26.3%. These findings highlight the growing problem of unsheltered homelessness in the general population. Prevention efforts should be focused particularly on the female, especially veteran female, population.

Prosperity in progress: a new look at archetypes of successful community development

This study navigates the terrain of community development in metropolitan areas across the United States (US), spotlighting the interplay between stakeholder engagement, development success, and distinct types of community development characteristics. While urban centers in US cities experienced disinvestment and urban flight for more than 5 decades, they now experience renewed interest amidst the complexities of rampant urbanization. Gentrification and displacement are some of the critical consequences of urban re-development, which warrants the exploration of the success metrics that turn disinvested communities into thriving ones. Methodologically, archetype analysis is employed to examine 73 case studies reported by the United States Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) as examples of successful development. The case studies span 37 US states and 67 cities. The analysis utilizes the Distressed Communities Index (DCI) as a supporting metric and offers an intermediate level of abstraction between a case-by-case analysis of successful development strategies and a generalized approach that assumes that one strategy fits all. Instead, the analysis identifies four distinct types of successful community development archetypes based on five relevant characteristics that emerged from our analysis: (1) public investments, (2) private investment (3) development plans, (4) stakeholder engagement, and (5) the DCI. The four identified archetypes represent unique Community Development Success pathways with specific development characteristics. Understanding the diversity reflected in these distinct archetypes is crucial for policymakers and stakeholders seeking to address the specific needs and challenges of each development success type. This can inform more targeted policy initiatives for fostering prosperity and vitality in diverse communities across the US and beyond.