This dissertation explores the question of how housing policy and the availability of affordable housing affect education. It consists of three papers that collectively provide evidence on the ways that shortages of affordable housing impact students and teachers, as well as examine the effects that policies addressing these shortages can have on educational equity and opportunities for disadvantaged students. In the first chapter, I examine the effect that low-income housing development has had on the racial, ethnic, and economic diversity of neighborhood public schools using evidence from the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC), the most important federal policy instrument incentivizing the supply of affordable housing. Using a regression discontinuity design, I find that LIHTC development did not result in a change in school composition on the nationwide level, but significantly increased minority student enrollment in predominantly white areas. In the second chapter, I estimate the short- and medium-term impacts that a rapid rehousing and homelessness prevention program has on homeless students, focusing on the outcomes of school and district mobility, attendance, and behavioral referrals. I use generalized difference-in-difference and event study models to find, among other results, that participation in the program had positive behavioral impacts but increased absences for students rehoused to faraway cities. In the final chapter, I and co-authors explore the prevalence and implications of economic anxiety among teachers in a high cost urban district using a combination of survey and administrative data. We find that economic anxiety is widespread among surveyed teachers and that it is highly predictive of teacher departure from the district, increased teacher absences, and more negative attitudes toward their jobs.

A series of policy shifts over the past decade promises to change how Americans decide where to send their children to school. In theory, the boom in standardized test scores and charter schools will allow parents to evaluate their assigned neighborhood school, or move in search of a better option. But what kind of data do parents actually use while choosing schools? Are there differences among suburban and urban families? How do parents’ choices influence school and residential segregation in America? Choosing Homes, Choosing Schools presents a breakthrough analysis of the new era of school choice, and what it portends for American neighborhoods. The distinguished contributors to Choosing Homes, Choosing Schools investigate the complex relationship between education, neighborhood social networks, and larger patterns of inequality. Paul Jargowsky reviews recent trends in segregation by race and class. His analysis shows that segregation between blacks and whites has declined since 1970, but remains extremely high. Moreover, white families with children are less likely than childless whites to live in neighborhoods with more minority residents. In her chapter, Annette Lareau draws on interviews with parents in three suburban neighborhoods to analyze school-choice decisions. Surprisingly, she finds that middle- and upper-class parents do not rely on active research, such as school tours or test scores. Instead, most simply trust advice from friends and other people in their network. Their decision-making process was largely informal and passive. Eliot Weinginer complements this research when he draws from his data on urban parents. He finds that these families worry endlessly about the selection of a school, and that parents of all backgrounds actively consider alternatives, including charter schools. Middle- and upper-class parents relied more on federally mandated report cards, district websites, and online forums, while working-class parents use network contacts to gain information on school quality. Little previous research has explored what role school concerns play in the preferences of white and minority parents for particular neighborhoods. Featuring innovative work from more than a dozen scholars, Choosing Homes, Choosing Schools adroitly addresses this gap and provides a firmer understanding of how Americans choose where to live and send their children to school.

In the last decade the number of families struggling to afford housing has grown rapidly throughout the United States. Despite the widespread urgency of this issue, there is an absence of scholarship in educational research about how affordable housing policy and programs affect students' educational opportunity. This lack of research focused on the intersection of housing policy and education is not surprising. Housing policy is complex -- made up of multiple programs and policies that are delivered and governed by federal and local governments but also including both public and private stakeholders. These stakeholders are often comprised of non-profit organizations (Community Development Corporations), developers, lenders, housing authorities, schools and school districts. In this study, I propose that Community Development Corporations (CDCs) are under-researched organizations that may offer important insights into the relationship between housing and educational opportunity. As such, the core empirical question of this research is: How and to what extent do CDCs cultivate educational opportunity in low-income contexts? To address this research question, Small's organizational embeddedness perspective provided a theoretical guide for my data collection and analysis. Additionally, I engaged in a case study approach. Data collection included interviews with key stakeholders, document analysis and observations. Ultimately, this study seeks to inform researchers, educational and community leaders, and policymakers about the ways in which low-income families embedded in CDCs access and mobilize educational opportunity.

In the complex environment of education, pervasive inequities persist, hindering progress towards a just and inclusive learning environment for all. Students from diverse backgrounds face barriers that impede their educational journey, perpetuating disparities and stifling the potential for collective growth. The need for transformative change is urgent, and it is within this pressing context that Exploring Educational Equity at the Intersection of Policy and Practice emerges as a beacon of hope and a solution-oriented guide for scholars, educators, policymakers, and all stakeholders committed to dismantling these barriers. Exploring Educational Equity at the Intersection of Policy and Practice dives deep into the heart of the equity crisis, synthesizing innovative scholarship to illuminate the multifaceted challenges within the educational system. By critically examining the evolution and various dimensions of educational equity on a global scale, the book presents the intricate web of issues that require our attention. From this thorough analysis, this book propels readers toward a transformative journey, offering methodologically robust interventions and evidence-based insights. This comprehensive approach equips educators, policymakers, and researchers with the tools to navigate the complexities of promoting inclusive and empowering education.

Blueprint for Green Affordable Housing is a guide for housing developers, advocates, public agency staff, and the financial community that offers specific guidance on incorporating green building strategies into the design, construction, and operation of affordable housing developments. A completely revised and expanded second edition of the groundbreaking 1999 publication, this new book focuses on topics of specific relevance to affordable housing including: how green building adds value to affordable housing the integrated design process best practices in green design for affordable housing green operations and maintenance innovative funding and finance emerging programs, partnerships, and policies Edited by national green affordable housing expert Walker Wells and featuring a foreword by Matt Petersen, president and chief executive officer of Global Green USA, the book presents 12 case studies of model developments and projects, including rental, home ownership, special needs, senior, self-help, and co-housing from around the United States. Each case study describes the unique green features of the development, discusses how they were successfully incorporated, considers the project's financing and savings associated with the green measures, and outlines lessons learned. Blueprint for Green Affordable Housing is the first book of its kind to present information regarding green building that is specifically tailored to the affordable housing development community.

Today’s educators stand at the crossroads of globalization and technology. The world is rapidly shrinking. The workplace is being transformed before our very eyes. Technology is forever changing the way we perceive reality and the way we do business. Educators are required to equip students for a workplace that has yet to emerge. The skill sets of today’s job market are often obsolete before students can enter the workplace. Now is the time for educators to rise to the challenges of our modern world. By embracing the vision of yesterday’s practitioners and joining hands with tomorrow’s practitioners, educators can transform our world and equip their students for the upward mobility and career flexibility required in tomorrow’s workplace.

This volume will introduce the readers to an alternative nexus of education, equity and economy, pointing to economies and educations that promote a less stratified and exploitive world, and as the chapter authors demonstrate, this view has a wide range of applications, from technology, mathematics, to environmental catastrophes and indigenous cultures. This first volume in the new book series not only introduces the series itself, but also several authors whose chapters that appear here presage the in-depth analysis that will be offered by their volumes in the series. Education is invoked repeatedly in the ‘class warfare’ that pits the population against the elites as the investment that makes the difference, in terms of both policy and individual commitment, in the economy. The economy in this scenario is competitive, accumulative, exploitive and stratifying, implying education should mirror this and prepare people to fit this economy. However, education has other historic goals of developing common cultures, national identities, and civic engagement that belie this form of economic determinism. This volume and the series will explore this new nexus of economy and education with equity.