Community & Public Health

Ninety-nine year old Ronghui Ye lives in a senior housing complex subsidized by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) under the federal Section 8 program, which provides long-term rental assistance for low-income families. Residents who live in these units pay about 30% of their income in rent. Ye moved in 2000, after winning a lucky draw — a system now replaced by decades-long waiting lists.

Aging

After being evicted from her Housing Choice voucher apartment more than a year ago, Tytinisha Mitchell, a 26-year old pregnant mother with a young child drifted in and out of the homes of friends and acquaintances, before living in her car for several months. The experience left a physical toll on her. She was hospitalized once for high blood pressure and later developed pre-eclampsia, a condition marked by dangerously high blood pressure during pregnancy. Affordable housing options for people like Mitchell are critical, say housing advocates.

Housing and Homeslessness