Kate Leifheit
@leifscience.bsky.social
Social Epidemiologist
Housing policies & health
Housing policies & health
Reposted by Kate Leifheit
I voted no against a resolution to unilaterally oppose SB79 today, not because I am in total agreement with the design of SB79, but because our housing crisis is too dire for us not to engage constructively with this bill and its goals: to build more housing near transit in LA.
August 20, 2025 at 2:53 AM
I voted no against a resolution to unilaterally oppose SB79 today, not because I am in total agreement with the design of SB79, but because our housing crisis is too dire for us not to engage constructively with this bill and its goals: to build more housing near transit in LA.
Reposted by Kate Leifheit
"This order does nothing to lower the cost of housing or help people make ends meet. The safest communities are those with the most housing and resources, not those that make it a crime to be poor or sick."
Full statement at homelesslaw.org/statement724...
Full statement at homelesslaw.org/statement724...
July 24, 2025 at 9:55 PM
"This order does nothing to lower the cost of housing or help people make ends meet. The safest communities are those with the most housing and resources, not those that make it a crime to be poor or sick."
Full statement at homelesslaw.org/statement724...
Full statement at homelesslaw.org/statement724...
Reposted by Kate Leifheit
Californians: remember it is illegal for landlords to discriminate and retaliate against tenants or push tenants to move out by threatening to disclose a tenant’s immigration status.
CA tenants — no matter their immigration status — have a right to safe housing.
CA tenants — no matter their immigration status — have a right to safe housing.
July 22, 2025 at 8:50 PM
Californians: remember it is illegal for landlords to discriminate and retaliate against tenants or push tenants to move out by threatening to disclose a tenant’s immigration status.
CA tenants — no matter their immigration status — have a right to safe housing.
CA tenants — no matter their immigration status — have a right to safe housing.
Reposted by Kate Leifheit
Latino tenants sued their landlord. A lawyer told them they would be 'picked up by ICE.'
Latino tenants sued their landlord. A lawyer told them they would be 'picked up by ICE.'
When a Latino tenant filed a lawsuit against a landlord and real estate agent for selling the home she was evicted from, an opposing lawyer suggested she'll likely be deported by ICE before trial.
www.latimes.com
July 23, 2025 at 12:51 PM
Latino tenants sued their landlord. A lawyer told them they would be 'picked up by ICE.'
Reposted by Kate Leifheit
Criminalizing homelessness doesn’t reduce it. A new national study proves that bans on sleeping outside don’t work.
Read: bit.ly/4nyBRPU
#housingpolicy #endhomelessness #shelterforce
Read: bit.ly/4nyBRPU
#housingpolicy #endhomelessness #shelterforce
July 12, 2025 at 8:01 PM
Criminalizing homelessness doesn’t reduce it. A new national study proves that bans on sleeping outside don’t work.
Read: bit.ly/4nyBRPU
#housingpolicy #endhomelessness #shelterforce
Read: bit.ly/4nyBRPU
#housingpolicy #endhomelessness #shelterforce
Reposted by Kate Leifheit
✅ The highest monthly mortgage payment on record
✅ The highest median existing home price
✅ A record number of renters with cost burdens
✅ A record number of billion-dollar weather-related disasters in a 2 year span
2024 was a year full of housing records.
www.jchs.harvard.edu/blog/year-re...
✅ The highest median existing home price
✅ A record number of renters with cost burdens
✅ A record number of billion-dollar weather-related disasters in a 2 year span
2024 was a year full of housing records.
www.jchs.harvard.edu/blog/year-re...
A Year for the Record Books: The State of the Nation’s Housing in Perspective
It has been a record year for housing. Our latest State of the Nation’s Housing report highlights an eye-popping list of milestones that were set in
www.jchs.harvard.edu
July 10, 2025 at 1:22 PM
✅ The highest monthly mortgage payment on record
✅ The highest median existing home price
✅ A record number of renters with cost burdens
✅ A record number of billion-dollar weather-related disasters in a 2 year span
2024 was a year full of housing records.
www.jchs.harvard.edu/blog/year-re...
✅ The highest median existing home price
✅ A record number of renters with cost burdens
✅ A record number of billion-dollar weather-related disasters in a 2 year span
2024 was a year full of housing records.
www.jchs.harvard.edu/blog/year-re...
Reposted by Kate Leifheit
"It would have a devastating impact on families.”
www.npr.org/2025/06/04/n...
By @npr.org's @jenniferludden.bsky.social
#housing+ #urbanism+ #urbanism
www.npr.org/2025/06/04/n...
By @npr.org's @jenniferludden.bsky.social
#housing+ #urbanism+ #urbanism
The Trump administration is working on a plan for time limits on rental aid
A housing agency rule would also allow work requirements. Supporters say a time limit would help spread limited funds to more people, but critics warn it would leave some homeless.
www.npr.org
June 10, 2025 at 3:19 PM
"It would have a devastating impact on families.”
www.npr.org/2025/06/04/n...
By @npr.org's @jenniferludden.bsky.social
#housing+ #urbanism+ #urbanism
www.npr.org/2025/06/04/n...
By @npr.org's @jenniferludden.bsky.social
#housing+ #urbanism+ #urbanism
New from @dgsomucla.bsky.social National Clinician Scholar Program fellow Cecile Yama: The 2021 Expanded Child Tax Credit reduced energy insecurity (difficulty paying utility bills) among US families. Open Access at @amjpublichealth.bsky.social ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/epdf/10....
Expiration of the Expanded Child Tax Credit and Energy Insecurity in US Households With Children, 2021–2022
ajph.aphapublications.org
June 5, 2025 at 11:49 PM
New from @dgsomucla.bsky.social National Clinician Scholar Program fellow Cecile Yama: The 2021 Expanded Child Tax Credit reduced energy insecurity (difficulty paying utility bills) among US families. Open Access at @amjpublichealth.bsky.social ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/epdf/10....
Reposted by Kate Leifheit
📣 Poor housing conditions like mold, cockroaches, peeling paint, & dilapidation harm health. States have policies to protect tenants from those exposures, but until now, no one ever tested whether they work. In a new paper, we find these policies are failing: 🧵 #episky 1/
May 27, 2025 at 8:29 PM
📣 Poor housing conditions like mold, cockroaches, peeling paint, & dilapidation harm health. States have policies to protect tenants from those exposures, but until now, no one ever tested whether they work. In a new paper, we find these policies are failing: 🧵 #episky 1/
Reposted by Kate Leifheit
For 40 years, Americans have lived shorter lives than people in other rich countries.
For 10 years, that's been rapidly getting worse.
New research: in 2022-2023, there were 1.5 million "missing Americans," who died--but wouldn't have, if America didn't have such uniquely high death rates.
For 10 years, that's been rapidly getting worse.
New research: in 2022-2023, there were 1.5 million "missing Americans," who died--but wouldn't have, if America didn't have such uniquely high death rates.
Excess US Deaths Before, During, and After the COVID-19 Pandemic
This cohort study examines trends in excess deaths in the US before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
jamanetwork.com
May 29, 2025 at 7:58 PM
For 40 years, Americans have lived shorter lives than people in other rich countries.
For 10 years, that's been rapidly getting worse.
New research: in 2022-2023, there were 1.5 million "missing Americans," who died--but wouldn't have, if America didn't have such uniquely high death rates.
For 10 years, that's been rapidly getting worse.
New research: in 2022-2023, there were 1.5 million "missing Americans," who died--but wouldn't have, if America didn't have such uniquely high death rates.
Reposted by Kate Leifheit
News outlets aren't doing nearly enough to sound the alarm about Trump's proposed decimation of federal housing programs.
We're talking catastrophic cuts that would put millions at risk of eviction and homelessness—making an already brutal crisis even worse.
And it's barely being covered.
We're talking catastrophic cuts that would put millions at risk of eviction and homelessness—making an already brutal crisis even worse.
And it's barely being covered.
May 19, 2025 at 3:31 PM
News outlets aren't doing nearly enough to sound the alarm about Trump's proposed decimation of federal housing programs.
We're talking catastrophic cuts that would put millions at risk of eviction and homelessness—making an already brutal crisis even worse.
And it's barely being covered.
We're talking catastrophic cuts that would put millions at risk of eviction and homelessness—making an already brutal crisis even worse.
And it's barely being covered.
Reposted by Kate Leifheit
What would House Republicans' $300 billion #SNAP cut mean? Millions of low-income people would lose some or all of the food assistance they need to afford groceries.
We've started crunching the numbers on the deepest cut to food assistance in history:
We've started crunching the numbers on the deepest cut to food assistance in history:
By the Numbers: House Republican Reconciliation Bill Takes Food Assistance Away From Millions of People | Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
The House reconciliation bill would dramatically raise costs and reduce food assistance for many millions of people by cutting federal funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) ...
www.cbpp.org
May 19, 2025 at 9:26 PM
What would House Republicans' $300 billion #SNAP cut mean? Millions of low-income people would lose some or all of the food assistance they need to afford groceries.
We've started crunching the numbers on the deepest cut to food assistance in history:
We've started crunching the numbers on the deepest cut to food assistance in history:
Reposted by Kate Leifheit
Belatedly introducing a new piece on racial capitalism, redlining, causality, and public health that I was lucky enough to work on with coauthors @snmarkley.bsky.social, Shannon Whittaker, and Amy Hillier! ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/10.2105/... 1/
How and Why Does Redlining Matter for Present-Day Health? Critical Perspectives on Causality, Cartography, and Capitalism | AJPH | Vol. 115 Issue 5
Recent years have seen an explosion of public health research on associations between historical redlining maps created by a US government agency, the Home Owners’ Loan Corporation (HOLC), and present...
ajph.aphapublications.org
May 14, 2025 at 9:19 PM
Belatedly introducing a new piece on racial capitalism, redlining, causality, and public health that I was lucky enough to work on with coauthors @snmarkley.bsky.social, Shannon Whittaker, and Amy Hillier! ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/10.2105/... 1/
Reposted by Kate Leifheit
Prettier version of my chart + a Difference in Differences showing changes in the supply of market rate housing have large impacts on prices.
Areas that saw more homes destroyed during the Los Angeles fires have, on average, seen 4% larger post-fire price increases.
Areas that saw more homes destroyed during the Los Angeles fires have, on average, seen 4% larger post-fire price increases.
May 3, 2025 at 2:10 AM
Prettier version of my chart + a Difference in Differences showing changes in the supply of market rate housing have large impacts on prices.
Areas that saw more homes destroyed during the Los Angeles fires have, on average, seen 4% larger post-fire price increases.
Areas that saw more homes destroyed during the Los Angeles fires have, on average, seen 4% larger post-fire price increases.
Reposted by Kate Leifheit
Congress will decide. But housing aid takes a major hit in the White House budget request. www.npr.org/2025/05/02/n...
Trump budget would slash rental aid by 40% -- and let states fill the gap if they want
The proposal would cut off rental subsidies after two years for able-bodied adults. Advocates warn if enacted, the White House plan would tip many low-income renters over the edge into homelessness.
www.npr.org
May 2, 2025 at 8:29 PM
Congress will decide. But housing aid takes a major hit in the White House budget request. www.npr.org/2025/05/02/n...
Reposted by Kate Leifheit
New from me:
"...advocates should be prepared to make a compelling case against any cuts to housing programs. Unfortunately, merely arguing that there should be a right to affordable, decent, and stable housing will be insufficient to convince many to maintain federal funding for these programs."
"...advocates should be prepared to make a compelling case against any cuts to housing programs. Unfortunately, merely arguing that there should be a right to affordable, decent, and stable housing will be insufficient to convince many to maintain federal funding for these programs."
HOUSING IMPACTS EVERYTHING: Ammunition from the Research Literature for Fighting Federal Cuts to Affordable Housing
...and for seeking increased support from state, local, and philanthropic sources
dans-newsletter-cfccf2.beehiiv.com
April 28, 2025 at 1:07 PM
New from me:
"...advocates should be prepared to make a compelling case against any cuts to housing programs. Unfortunately, merely arguing that there should be a right to affordable, decent, and stable housing will be insufficient to convince many to maintain federal funding for these programs."
"...advocates should be prepared to make a compelling case against any cuts to housing programs. Unfortunately, merely arguing that there should be a right to affordable, decent, and stable housing will be insufficient to convince many to maintain federal funding for these programs."
Dr. Achyuth Sriram of @dgsomucla.bsky.social Pediatrics sharing his important work on the Child Tax Credit at #PAS2024
April 27, 2025 at 6:08 PM
Dr. Achyuth Sriram of @dgsomucla.bsky.social Pediatrics sharing his important work on the Child Tax Credit at #PAS2024
Reposted by Kate Leifheit
“A 90-day [PEPFAR] funding freeze would result in 60K [95% UI: 49–71 thousand] excess HIV deaths”
This increases to 74K excess HIV deaths [95% UI: 63–89 thousand] for a more realistic scenario “assuming near-total system collapse due to program dependencies”
@thelancet.bsky.social
This increases to 74K excess HIV deaths [95% UI: 63–89 thousand] for a more realistic scenario “assuming near-total system collapse due to program dependencies”
@thelancet.bsky.social
The impact of the PEPFAR funding freeze on HIV deaths and infections: a mathematical modelling study of seven countries in sub-Saharan Africa
The sudden cessation of PEPFAR funding likely results in tens of thousands of HIV
deaths and new infections. These losses of life and health should compel the United
States government to rapidly and f...
www.thelancet.com
April 26, 2025 at 2:32 AM
“A 90-day [PEPFAR] funding freeze would result in 60K [95% UI: 49–71 thousand] excess HIV deaths”
This increases to 74K excess HIV deaths [95% UI: 63–89 thousand] for a more realistic scenario “assuming near-total system collapse due to program dependencies”
@thelancet.bsky.social
This increases to 74K excess HIV deaths [95% UI: 63–89 thousand] for a more realistic scenario “assuming near-total system collapse due to program dependencies”
@thelancet.bsky.social
Reposted by Kate Leifheit
Undercover tests reveal Southern California landlords are still turning away tenants using Section 8 vouchers, five years after state law made such discrimination illegal.
My @laist.com story breaks down the results of recent fair housing testing.
My @laist.com story breaks down the results of recent fair housing testing.
It's illegal, but many SoCal landlords still turn away renters who use housing vouchers
Undercover testers were deployed to find out if landlords discriminate against Section 8 tenants. The results suggest voucher refusal remains common.
laist.com
April 17, 2025 at 11:01 PM
Undercover tests reveal Southern California landlords are still turning away tenants using Section 8 vouchers, five years after state law made such discrimination illegal.
My @laist.com story breaks down the results of recent fair housing testing.
My @laist.com story breaks down the results of recent fair housing testing.
Important new study by @gabeschwartz.bsky.social & colleagues!
Homelessness is rising among older adults. Are healthcare systems meeting that challenge? Using data on 119k older patients in CA, we find the answer is 'no': even when clinicians identify them as housing insecure, only 7% get a social work referral. #episky 🧵1/
![Screenshot of the abstract for the scientific paper this thread is about. The title is: "Identifying and Addressing Housing Insecurity in Older Patients: Trends, Referrals, and Inequities in a California Medical System." The abstract reads: "Housing insecurity is rising among older adults, especially for racially minoritized people. Few studies have evaluated whether healthcare institutions are meeting that challenge. Using data from a large California medical system, we examined how often older patients are (A) identified as housing insecure and then (B) referred to social services, as well as inequities in those rates.
Research Design & Methods
We analyzed electronic health records (2013–2022) for 119,127 older adults (55+) receiving primary or emergency care. We used a natural language processing model to identify housing insecurity and social services referrals/connections from unstructured notes, with referrals also captured via structured data. Trends in identification were compared to eviction and homelessness trends in the general population. Racial inequities in referrals were evaluated using logistic regression.
Results
0.6% of encounters (n = 6,253) screened positive for housing insecurity. Positive screening trends were nonlinear, with initial increases followed by declines to baseline (roughly tracking regional eviction trends). Only 7% of patients identified as housing insecure were referred to social services, and connections were more likely in primary than emergency care (odds ratio [OR] = 2.04, 95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 1.41–2.96). Asian patients had lower odds of referral than non-Hispanic White patients (OR = 0.51, 95% CI: 0.28–0.95).
Discussion and Implications
We identified urgent unmet needs for housing intervention among older patients. Healthcare systems must do more to ensure older patients, especially racially minoritized older adults, are screened for housing insecurity and connected to housing services."](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:j7ciy7fc3pzwpfwqojihmceu/bafkreig7ujg2jcopse5ldpsugptvjxksuokog5i7rnz4esafldmdlznw2u@jpeg)
April 22, 2025 at 4:58 PM
Important new study by @gabeschwartz.bsky.social & colleagues!
Reposted by Kate Leifheit
Ok so yeah, this has quickly become the #1 misunderstanding about the canceled grants
the grants are not “subsidies” or “entitlements” to Harvard or Princeton or whatever
they aren’t going into universities’ endowments
they are competitive contracts won by these universities to do research
the grants are not “subsidies” or “entitlements” to Harvard or Princeton or whatever
they aren’t going into universities’ endowments
they are competitive contracts won by these universities to do research
There is a PR narrative quickly emerging about “entitlement” of elite universities, as if this $ is some sort of subsidy
Harvard & others must counter this quickly
The $ doesn’t flow into Harvard’s coffers - this is grant money, most of which goes to research the govt has agreed has social value
Harvard & others must counter this quickly
The $ doesn’t flow into Harvard’s coffers - this is grant money, most of which goes to research the govt has agreed has social value
April 18, 2025 at 11:55 AM
Ok so yeah, this has quickly become the #1 misunderstanding about the canceled grants
the grants are not “subsidies” or “entitlements” to Harvard or Princeton or whatever
they aren’t going into universities’ endowments
they are competitive contracts won by these universities to do research
the grants are not “subsidies” or “entitlements” to Harvard or Princeton or whatever
they aren’t going into universities’ endowments
they are competitive contracts won by these universities to do research
Reposted by Kate Leifheit
Families will die without LIHEAP.
And for those who are curious ( @costasamaras.com? @coachfinstock.bsky.social? @enjohnston.bsky.social? @brunojnavarro.bsky.social?): the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program is being eliminated in this draft HHS budget. So I guess this language/script I just published is at least timely.
Families Will Die Without LIHEAP. Trump Broke It Anyways.
Phone scripts and emails to demand we not abandon low-income families paying their heating and cooling bills
susanrogan.substack.com
April 18, 2025 at 3:34 AM
Families will die without LIHEAP.
Reposted by Kate Leifheit
Bee's home filled with ash during the wildfires. Holly pays $350/month to heat her studio apt.
Desperate for safety & change, both turned to a trusted source: the tenant union.
The climate crisis hits tenants hardest, but tenants are fighting back. I wrote about it in @shelterforce.bsky.social
Desperate for safety & change, both turned to a trusted source: the tenant union.
The climate crisis hits tenants hardest, but tenants are fighting back. I wrote about it in @shelterforce.bsky.social
The Climate Crisis Hits Tenants Hardest. They're Fighting Back.
From California to North Carolina, tenants are organizing to demand protections from natural disasters.
shelterforce.org
April 7, 2025 at 3:13 PM
Bee's home filled with ash during the wildfires. Holly pays $350/month to heat her studio apt.
Desperate for safety & change, both turned to a trusted source: the tenant union.
The climate crisis hits tenants hardest, but tenants are fighting back. I wrote about it in @shelterforce.bsky.social
Desperate for safety & change, both turned to a trusted source: the tenant union.
The climate crisis hits tenants hardest, but tenants are fighting back. I wrote about it in @shelterforce.bsky.social
Reposted by Kate Leifheit
I'm getting asked by people whether they should pivot from #healthequity work or somehow rebrand it.
All I can say is that if you care about an issue you should continue to work on it. Further, it doesn't seem to matter what you call it. Those attacking this area don't care what you call it.
All I can say is that if you care about an issue you should continue to work on it. Further, it doesn't seem to matter what you call it. Those attacking this area don't care what you call it.
February 28, 2025 at 1:24 PM
I'm getting asked by people whether they should pivot from #healthequity work or somehow rebrand it.
All I can say is that if you care about an issue you should continue to work on it. Further, it doesn't seem to matter what you call it. Those attacking this area don't care what you call it.
All I can say is that if you care about an issue you should continue to work on it. Further, it doesn't seem to matter what you call it. Those attacking this area don't care what you call it.