COVID-19 has hit many communities hard, often in disproportionate ways. Individuals and families who live in public and affordable housing are generally more at risk for contracting and dying from this disease due to previously inequitable social determinants of health conditions; they are also being affected economically.

Often working low-wage jobs with little to no benefits or protections such as paid sick leave, these individuals are either faced with unemployment or with being forced to choose between their health and financial stability.

In one of ULI’s recent webinars on confronting the impact of Covid-19, Dr. Megan Sandel with the Boston Medical Center explained that adequate housing is critical to fostering social equity and promoting overall well-being. Safe, healthy, affordable, and well-located housing can be thought of as a vaccine, protecting residents from health issues that arise from poor housing quality and location—this is even more critical as people are spending more and more time in their homes.