Governor’s Health Equity Council pushes for land trusts, other housing strategies in its new report

Gov. Tony Evers created the Governor’s Health Equity Council in 2019.
Gov. Tony Evers created the Governor’s Health Equity Council in 2019.

Housing is mentioned nearly 50 times in the Governor’s Health Equity Council report of 2022.

Run by Chairwoman Gina Green-Harris and Vice Chairwoman Michelle Robinson, the council is tasked with identifying strategies to improve the state’s health disparities.

Council members identified housing as an integral social determinant of health and suggested multiple housing strategies, including increasing support to homeownership programs, encouraging the creation of more community land trusts and adding a housing benefit to Medicaid.

Related:Milwaukee's Housing First programs shows how lifting people out of homelessness can improve health, and cut costs

A long-standing body of research, such as reports from the Urban Institute and National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, has strongly correlated safe housing with better and more racially equitable health outcomes.

Programs such as Milwaukee County’s Housing First also illustrate how the health of formerly homeless Milwaukee residents was improved after they were placed in safe housing situations.

Homeownership disparities mean an inequitable number of renters vulnerable to poor housing conditions

Given the rising costs of rent, the council asserts investing more money in homeownership programs will lead to more equitable health outcomes. Homeowners typically have more financial stability and more control over their environment, as opposed to renters who must rely on landlords to maintain their properties in a healthful condition.

Housing conditions associated with poor health, such as those which exacerbate asthma and other respiratory illnesses, are much more likely found among rental properties, according to research from the Milken Institute School of Public Health at George Washington University.

More:'Who wants to take a hot shower in mold?' Substandard housing promotes asthma 'triggers,' and getting help can be a nightmare.

However, the report, noting a gap of 46.2 percentage points in homeownership rates between Black (26%) and white (72.2%) residents across the state, pointed out how racial disparities in homeownership coincide with the disparities in health outcomes.

The council estimated homeownership disparities are likely to last until at least 2040, citing the continued impacts of segregation, redlining, the denial of mortgage loans and other forms of racial discrimination in housing.

The report quoted a Greendale resident who pointed out even those who are homeowners are just barely scraping by, leaving little funds for medical or other needs.

“People don't have the money to rehab their houses,” the resident said “They make just above the limits to get grants that could help but not enough to be able to stay on top of major repairs and still provide for the family necessities.”

That’s why the council is recommending the state increase funding for organizations engaged in the following type of work:

  • Affordable housing development

  • Home rehabilitation and sale to eligible buyers

  • Educational services for pre- and post-homebuyers

  • Down payment and closing costs support

  • Home and nonprofit commercial renovations

  • Counseling for prospective homeowners

Community land trusts lower housing costs, allow low-income residents to spend more on health

Community land trusts are typically owned by community organizations and/or nonprofits that purchase and permanently own homes and lease them out to prospective homeowners and/or renters.

RELATED: Milwaukee land trust takes step forward to improve home ownership among people of color

This type of arrangement keeps housing affordable through “ground leases,” which have parameters around reselling property and income eligibility, according to the council. When a family sells their appreciated home, the trust keeps part of the profit to help offset low housing costs.

More affordable housing allows residents to spend more on prescriptions and seek prompt medical care while also allowing those with chronic diseases to avoid aggravating their conditions.

The council recommended roughly $32 million go toward the development of community land trusts throughout Wisconsin. The funds would come from the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s HOME Investment Partnerships Program, which allocated $318 million to the state.

Report praised Medicaid housing benefit, says it can help pregnant women and new mothers

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services received federal approval to provide housing benefits to low-income pregnant women and families with children under the age of 18 last year.

More:What if doctors could write prescriptions for adequate housing? More than anything else, it might improve a person's overall health.

Following that, Wisconsin announced an initiative to use some of its Children’s Health Insurance Program funds to reimburse programs designed to reduce housing insecurity, such as housing consultation, housing transition services and relocation support. The initiative can also be used to reimburse homeless assistance providers.

Homelessness has been associated with premature births and a higher risk of infant mortality, according to the Wisconsin Medical Journal.

The council recommended Medicaid to prioritize pregnant women as well as women up to a year after they have given birth.

Talis Shelbourne is an investigative solutions reporter covering the issues of affordable housing, environment and equity issues. Have a tip? You can reach Talis at (414) 403-6651 or tshelbourn@jrn.com. Follow her on Twitter at @talisseer and message her on Facebook at @talisseer.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Land trusts may be a key to overcoming health disparities in Wisconsin