Housing Hangout – Housing & Education

Posted on August 04, 2021

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Good housing is important to educational outcomes, lack of adequate housing negatively impacts children

Having a comfortable living environment means a lot to a family, especially to children during school age. However, there are barriers to students’ schooling at both macro and micro level related to housing. Studies show that housing policies can drive dramatic demographic change in cities and suburbs, and also impact people’s neighborhood choice. Other factors such as crowding, noise level, residential mobility, affordability, homelessness, etc. bring negative effects on students’ academic outcomes. North Carolina has 9,280 individuals experiencing homelessness, including 485 unaccompanied young adults (aged 18-24). Dr. Haiyang Su, a research specialist at the Center for Housing and Community Studies, will be hosting a panel of local and national experts on housing and schooling. The panelists will share their studies, thoughts, and working experiences on student homelessness, the intersection of housing and education, as well as evidence on barriers to neighborhood choice.

August Housing Hangout – Childhood Asthma & Housing

Posted on August 07, 2021

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Asthma is the most common chronic disease of childhood often occurring before the age of 5. The exact cause of asthma is unknown, but we know that certain conditions in homes can produce “asthma triggers” such as certain types of dust, mold, and chemicals can invoke an asthma attack. Dr. Kenneth Gruber is a Research Scientist at the Center for Housing and Community Studies and is the author of “Removing asthma triggers and improving children’s health: The Asthma Partnership Demonstration project.” Dr. Gruber will be hosting a panel of local and regional experts on housing and health. This panel discussion will focus on the unhealthy side of housing as a potential cause of asthma and asthma incidents. The panel will involve individuals with different perspectives on issues relating to the connection of housing conditions and childhood asthma including medical, family, housing quality, and other housing environmental conditions.
Panelists on this topic include:

Presentation materials:

Video:

Housing Assistance

Posted on August 16, 2021

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For eviction mediation assistance, please contact [email protected] or call: Renée Norris, Mediation Coordinator @ 336.334.3731

 

Webinar: Emergency Rental Assistance & Mediation

Posted on September 09, 2021

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For eviction mediation assistance, please contact [email protected] or call: Renée Norris, Mediation Coordinator @ 336.334.3731

October 2021 – Housing Hangout

Posted on September 28, 2021

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About this event

President Joe Biden came into office at the beginning of this year on waves of expectation, not least in the area of national housing policy. His campaign offered a $640 billion affordable housing plan and promised to fight predatory lenders and landlords, make Section 8 an entitlement, restore fair housing enforcement and much more. Once in office, the administration put housing at the center of policymaking, including with a Rescue Plan that allocated billions to rental assistance, a proposed Jobs Plan that would put $213 billion into affordable housing, and initiatives to carry out the campaign’s wide-ranging commitments. Now it’s all tied up in bureaucratic slowdowns and high-profile legislative logrolling.

Click the image to read the companion whitepaper: Report Card – Biden Administration Housing Policy

Our distinguished panel of policy experts and housing advocates will issue an interim report on the Biden Administration’s housing ambitions, housing achievements, and housing frustrations. Speakers include:

  • Pamela Atwood , Director of Housing Policy , North Carolina Housing Coalition
  • Peggy Bailey , Senior Advisor in the Office of the Secretary , US Department of Housing and Urban Development
  • Sidney Betancourt , Housing Advocacy Organizer , National Low Income Housing Coalition
  • Tim Robustelli , Policy Analyst , Future of Land and Housing Program , New America
  • Deborah Thrope , Deputy Director , National Housing Law Project

 

Tenant Leadership Academy Recruitment

Posted on September 29, 2021

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Guilford County Vaccine Perspectives

Posted on October 01, 2021

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COMMUNITY INVITED TO COMPLETE SURVEY ON PERSPECTIVES OF COVID19 VACCINE

Greensboro, NC – The Guilford County Department of Public Health in partnership with the UNC Greensboro Center for Housing and Community Studies have jointly launched am online public survey to help obtain information from residents throughout Guilford County on their perspectives on receiving the COVID19 Vaccine.

The survey seeks responses from people who have been vaccinated, are planning to get vaccinated, as well as those who are not planning to get vaccinated. All perspectives are welcomed and valued.

The survey was developed by UNCG Center for Housing and Community Studies in collaboration with the Department of Public Health. Dr. Stephen Sills, the lead researcher, explains, “this study provides data and analysis that will be useful in better understanding the community’s perspectives towards getting vaccinated and develop ways to provide information and outreach to all residents. If you live in the county, please take this survey and help us in our efforts.”

The public is encouraged to complete the public survey here.

Dr. Iulia Vann, Public Health Director, Guilford County Division of Public Health, says: “This partnership with the UNCG Center for Housing and Community Studies is a critical piece of the vaccination effort here in Guilford County. With this survey, we will have the opportunity to gather insight on what additional steps we can take to encourage residents to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Our ultimate goal is to decrease community spread, reduce hospitalizations, and lower the positivity rate. I am excited to learn more about perspectives surrounding vaccination in Guilford County and use them to inform and advance our work at the Division of Public Health.”

The public survey will be open for the next month and any resident in Guilford County can take the survey. It takes approximately 10-15 minutes to complete and is completely confidential. After completing the survey, participants may register to be included in a sweepstakes drawing for one of ten $100 gift cards.

Community groups, nonprofits, places of worship, businesses, and others are encouraged to share the survey to help ensure a diverse and high response rate.

A final report is expected to be presented to the Department of Public Health in November.

A discussion on rising evictions amid an affordable housing crisis

Posted on October 21, 2021

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ncIMPACT Initiative  host Anita Brown-Graham is joined by Sofia Crisp, Michelle Kennedy, and Stephen Sills to talk about the shortage of safe, affordable housing in Guilford County and the high rate of evictions.

 

Emergency Rental Assistance , Eviction Mediation, & COVID Recovery

Posted on November 05, 2021

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The COVID-19 pandemic has not impacted housing so as much as it has exposed the underlying conditions resulting from a century of inequalities in access to safe, affordable, and decent housing. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is still being explored, but early data suggests that the wealth gap has grown as inequalities in employment, education, and housing have worsened for many households. According to the New York Times, more than 1.4 million Americans expect to be evicted within the next two months, while another 2.2 million say it’s somewhat likely they’ll be evicted. In this month’s CHCS Housing Hangout, panelist will discuss local, regional, and state initiatives to provide housing assistance and to try and reduce the number of households that will be displaced due to evictions.

  • Wanda Allen-Abraha, Director Human Relations Department, City of Winston-Salem
  • Julie Antonelli, Chief Magistrate Judge, North Carolina Judicial Branch
  • Sarah Baker, Emergency Rental and Utility Assistance Program, Guilford County Government
  • Michelle Kennedy, Director, Neighborhood Development, City of Greensboro
  • Jennifer Lechner, Executive Director of the North Carolina Equal Access to Justice Commission
  • Janet McAuley-Blue, Managing Attorney at Legal Aid of North Carolina
  • Renée Norris, Eviction Mediation and Housing Navigation Program Coordinator, UNCG Center for Housing and Community Studies
  • Holly Oner, Staff Attorney at Legal Aid of North Carolina

 

Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week Panel

Posted on November 18, 2021

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Panel: Homelessness in our Community

Dr. Stephen Sills, Professor and Director, The Center for Housing and Community Studies, moderates this community-focused panel of professionals who are working to address homelessness in Greensboro. Speakers include representatives from Tiny Houses Greensboro, The Servant Center, NC Housing Coalition, and more!

The panelist contact information and website links are below for you to reach out if you are interested in partnering with them in the future.