New Report on the Impact of Housing Security on Health

A new analysis of housing trends in Colorado reveals that the health of Coloradans is closely tied to access to affordable, stable, accessible and quality housing. Residents across the state have been harmed by the rapid increase in housing costs, and that pinch has been acute for seven distinct demographic groups, the report found.

The report details how housing instability has a direct negative effect on the health and well-being of people of color, Coloradans with low incomes, families with children, people in rural areas, people with disabilities, immigrants without documentation and Coloradans experiencing homelessness. The report, “Home Equity: A Vision of Housing Security, Health and Opportunity” was produced by the Colorado Health Institute in partnership with a cohort of 18 Colorado nonprofit organizations. The average Colorado home price increased 77 percent in the past decade, researchers found, yet the state’s median income increased just 4.5 percent.

To improve housing opportunities throughout the state, the report outlines 11 promising policy ideas created in partnership with affected communities that state and local policymakers should consider. They range from local to state-level solutions and include ways to correct historic and current policies that have created today’s inequitable systems.