Released March 25, 2022
Recently released data shows that Ohioans continue to experience substantial financial burdens when paying for housing, and that Ohioans of color are disproportionately impacted.
Last year, HPIO released a fact sheet on housing affordability and health equity that described how stable, affordable and safe housing is critical for good health. Above is a graphic from the publication, updated with the most-recently available data.
The connections between housing and health are clear. Limited high-quality, affordable housing stock forces many Ohioans into stressful and unsafe housing situations that can lead to long-term negative health consequences, such as high blood pressure and poor birth outcomes.
HPIO’s fact sheet “Connections between Racism and Health: State and Local Policymakers,” further explains the connection between racism, housing and health: “Decades of racist housing policies, such as historical redlining and present-day predatory lending practices, have resulted in neighborhood segregation, concentrated poverty and disinvestment from Black communities in Ohio that continue to this day. As a result, Ohioans of color are more likely to experience harmful community conditions — such as food deserts and unsafe, unstable housing — that impact health.”
The fact sheet includes action steps policymakers can take to support the health and well-being of Ohioans of color and move Ohio toward a more economically vibrant and healthier future.
The fact sheet is one in a series of three that are companions to the HPIO policy brief “Connections between Racism and Health: Taking Action to Eliminate Racism and Advance Equity.” The other fact sheets in the series address private-sector organizations and individuals and community groups.
