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A new HUD study published in today’s New England Journal of Medicine is garnering major press attention for offering some of the strongest evidence ever to support what many have long suspected: Moving to a better neighborhood improves your health.
In the 1990s, as part of HUD’s Moving to Opportunity program, the Department offered poor households, many headed by single mothers, the opportunity to receive vouchers to move to low-poverty neighborhoods. Ten years later, the mothers who had the opportunity to move were 20 percent less likely to suffer from diabetes and extreme obesity than their counterparts in public housing who were not offered vouchers through the study. The L.A. Times offers a great summary of why these findings matter:
The research, set up by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, shows that health is closely linked to the environments people live in — and that social policies to change those environments or move people away from blighted areas could be a key tactic in fighting the “diabesity” epidemic.
In fact, Jens Ludwig of the University of Chicago – who authored the study – said environment could be about as important as health care in fostering families’ well-being. “Investments outside the health care system can be really important complements to spending within the health care system,” he said, later adding, “there’s an effect on these really important health outcomes that’s in the ballpark of lifestyle and medical interventions.”
The takeaway is simple: Environment matters. This study’s findings underscore the importance of HUD’s mission. Through programs like Choice Neighborhoods, Housing Choice Vouchers, and Community Development Block Grants, we’re promoting housing as a platform to improve quality of life and working to break the cycle of poverty that robs poor families of a chance to thrive like their more affluent counterparts.
As Secretary Donovan has frequently said, too often, we can predict a family’s overall health and well-being just by looking at their zip code. When high crime renders going outside to exercise intimidating, a lack of grocery stores prevents a nutritious diet, and a dearth of doctors’ offices make healthcare hard to come by, it’s no wonder families in poor neighborhoods find it harder to embrace healthy lifestyles.
At HUD, we believe no one should ever get sick because of where they live. By helping poor families find housing in healthier neighborhoods and by restoring poverty-stricken, blighted areas to vitality, we will continue making sure our nation’s most vulnerable citizens have a home where they can flourish.