School officials said they are working to accommodate a wave of new students from the Patterson Village development, which is currently under construction. School officials, community members and school administrators are concerned that without a mitigation agreement, schools will not be able to cope with another wave of large-scale development.
Credit: Emma Gallegos / EdSource
Although education and housing are often closely linked, policy decisions made in these two areas are generally siled, making it difficult to understand how housing policy may impact education and vice versa. Sometimes they are formed and passed without consideration.
Meghan Gallagher’s research focuses on the link between housing and education to support student academic outcomes, bridging the two. Part of her recent work as a principal investigator at the Urban Institute, a nonprofit research organization focused on public policy, has focused on encouraging school officials and housing developers to desegregate neighborhoods. offers ideas on how to work together to eliminate racism in schools.
Mr. Gallagher also co-authored a report that compiled a list of key housing characteristics that influence children’s educational outcomes.
Housing Quality Housing Affordability Housing Stability Neighborhood Quality Wealth Building Homes
In this Q&A, Mr. Gallagher details why housing characteristics are important in a child’s education and the collaboration that helps children have a fair chance of academic success. The interview has been lightly edited for brevity and clarity.
How do housing policies affect children’s educational outcomes?
When trying to understand the impact of housing on children’s educational outcomes, it is critical to focus on housing’s unique contribution.
There may be families with the same income level, but one lives in a high-quality home and the other in a low-quality home. Poor-quality housing can affect a child’s health, ability to sleep, and sense of security. So if they were in a low-quality home, that child could have a very different outcome.
We have outlined five characteristics of housing that influence children’s educational outcomes. Why are these five characteristics so important?
These five characteristics have been extensively studied in the housing policy literature. I didn’t do all the original research involved in these findings, I just compiled them all in one place. There are historically unmeasured aspects of housing that may also impact education.
We know that lower-quality housing—homes with mold and electrical problems—is associated with lower kindergarten readiness scores. The causal relationship is established. The relationship between overspending on rent and increased problem behavior. Housing instability, I like to put homelessness and housing insecurity under housing instability, but it actually affects school stability and even math and reading performance. Masu. We know that homeownership, where successful homeownership allows families to build equity, increases the likelihood of attending college. We also know that neighborhood environments, such as violence, can impede academic progress and hinder children’s academic performance.
There is therefore evidence that each of these housing conditions is associated with different aspects of children’s well-being and educational outcomes.
One thing we don’t do a very good job of is figuring out which of these aspects of a home are the most important and most impactful. If we had a million dollars, what would we put that million toward to improve educational outcomes?At this point, we don’t know exactly what the right path is to do that. I don’t think there is enough evidence.
Do all five characteristics need to be present for children to have the best possible educational outcomes?
At this point, it’s hard to understand which of the five you need to implement, or what are the chances of success if you deploy one, two, or even three or four? Not enough data.
This is an area that continues to require more understanding and more evidence, but I don’t think we can wait until we have all the evidence before making policy decisions.
Is the lack of sufficient research one of the consequences of the disconnect between housing and education policy?
absolutely. These sectors are highly siled, and many of the large data collection investments made by HUD (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development) and the U.S. Department of Education lack data elements that capture aspects of other sectors. I think so.
When we’re looking at housing data in housing policy, we don’t really have detailed data collected about the children in the family – which schools they go to and how they spend their time – so we can tie the data together. Possibly. The world of education.
Even with the ability to connect data, research involving privacy faces many challenges. Is that what program participants agreed to when they decided to enroll their child in public school or enroll in a housing assistance program? Often the answer is no.
Some of the best data is actually connected at the local level. There, we have local policy makers working with local government agencies for permissions and connecting data to on-the-ground fine-tuning programs.
How can I get the information I need to ensure academic success for all children?
It has to happen on multiple levels. The federal government should encourage the Department of Education and HUD to work together and actually support or encourage collaboration on discretionary grant programs. I really think the federal government has an opportunity to lead and really support these types of efforts.
However, I also believe that there are many local organizations that are taking the lead. Much of the case study work I’ve done has been to illustrate how flexibility and collaboration actually translate into a range of programs and practices that support children’s education and stable, high-quality housing. I think it will be helpful.
I know that philanthropy is really supporting a lot of the exploration around sector alignment.
I feel really hopeful about this kind of broader vision for how we can create policies that take into account how multiple systems can influence a child’s outcomes. But I also don’t think this house is just sitting there and the kids aren’t living there. A big part of this effort is ensuring we have a continued housing production pipeline to develop housing to ensure we have enough housing at a variety of price points so everyone has the opportunity to live where they want to live. That’s it.
