Researchers often hope that their work will inform social change. The
questions that motivate them to pursue research careers in the first
place often stem from observations about gaps between the world as we
wish it to be and the world as it is, accompanied by a deep curiosity
about how it might be made different. Researchers view their profession
as providing important information about what is, what could be, and how
to get there. However, if research is to inform social change, we must
first change the way in which research is done.
Engaging the Intersection of Housing and Health offers case studies of
research that is interdisciplinary, stakeholder-engaged and
intentionally designed for "translation" into practice. There are
numerous ways in which housing and health are intertwined. This
intertwining--which is the focus of this volume--is lived daily by the
children whose asthma is exacerbated by mold in their homes, the adults
whose mental illness increases their risk for homelessness and whose
homelessness worsens their mental and physical health, the seniors whose
home environment enhances their risk of falls, and the families who must
choose between paying for housing and paying for healthcare.