Social determinants of human health

The study is devoted to the analysis of social determinants of human health, their quantitative and qualitative aspects. The analysis was carried out according to the authors' methodology, which includes a comparison of the results of the questionnaire (subjective qualitative assessment) and the correlation analysis of social determinants with the life expectancy indicator. The Republic of Tatarstan, a dynamically developing region of the Russian Federation, where life expectancy is much higher compared to other regions (75.03 years in 2019), was chosen as the territorial object of analysis. The study hypothesized that it could be proved that social determinants were the most important component of health, and without them, its formation, maintenance, and strengthening would be impossible. Based on the results of the comprehensive analysis, the hypothesis was confirmed: 1) the qualitative analysis confirmed that the respondents were aware of the impact of social determinants on their health and identified individual indicators: the level of social security, stress, ecology, as well as immediate environment and working conditions; 2) the results of the quantitative analysis made it possible to state that health was affected by the following social determinants: divorce rates, environmental pollution, provision of medical services, construction rates and housing costs.

Socio-Ecological Dimensions of Spontaneous Plants on Green Roofs

Green roofs have the potential to provide socio-ecological services in urban settings that lack vegetation and open space. However, implementation of green roofs is limited by high construction and maintenance costs. Consequently, green roof projects often disproportionately benefit wealthy communities and can further marginalise disadvantaged communities by increasing property values and housing costs. Vegetation cover on green roofs is crucial to their provisioning of socio-ecological services. Evidence suggests that green roof plantings change over time, especially with limited maintenance, and are replaced with spontaneous “weedy” species. This is often perceived as a failure of the original green roof design intent and spontaneous species are usually removed. However, where good coverage is achieved, spontaneous vegetation could provide beneficial services such as stormwater mitigation, habitat provision, and climate regulation. While social norms about “weediness” may limit the desirability of some spontaneous species, research suggests that their acceptability on green roofs increases with coverage. As spontaneous species can establish on green roofs without irrigation and fertiliser, reduced input costs could help facilitate adoption particularly in markets without an established green roof industry. Construction costs may also be reduced in hot and dry climates where deeper substrates are necessary to ensure plant survival, as many spontaneous species are able to colonise shallow substrates and can regenerate from seed. If implemented based on socio-ecological need, green roofs with spontaneous vegetation coverage may apply less pressure to property values and housing costs than conventionally planted green roofs, increasing the resilience of urban communities while limiting gentrification.

You Won't be My Neighbor: Opposition to High Density Development

Virtually every city in the United States bans multifamily homes in at least some neighborhoods, and in many cities most residential land is restricted to single family homes. This is the case even though many metropolitan areas are facing skyrocketing housing costs and increased environmental degradation that could be alleviated by denser housing supply. Some scholars have argued that an unrepresentative set of vocal development opponents are the culprits behind this collective action failure. Yet, recent work suggests that opposition to density may be widespread. In this research note, I use a conjoint survey experiment to provide evidence that preferences for single-family development are ubiquitous. Across every demographic subgroup analyzed, respondents preferred single-family home developments by a wide margin. Relative to single family homes, apartments are viewed as decreasing property values, increasing crime rates, lowering school quality, increasing traffic, and decreasing desirability.

Resetting Benefits: Benchmarks for adequate minimum incomes

New Zealand’s successful management of the Covid-19 pandemic has emphasised the value of evidence-based policy. Government policy on income support payments is also changing significantly in response to the Welfare Expert Advisory Group’s 2019 report. This article examines the report’s recommendations in the context of international and local research, considers whether benefit increases in the 2021 Budget deliver on those recommendations, and discusses the impact of high housing costs on welfare reform options.

What Sparkles Does Not Always Shine

This paper is an ethnographic and sociological study of the neighborhood of Runnymede-Bloor West Village, identifying trends and drawing conclusions based on statistical data, academic theory, and notes taken during research trips. It is also worth noting that this study was conducted in January of 2020 before the Global pandemic was declared. Focusing on gentrification, segregation, and inequality, I identify that this neighborhood is part of a growing trend in Toronto of the increasing severity of all three of these issues. Runnymede-Bloor West Village is quickly becoming one of Toronto’s wealthiest neighborhoods, with the average household income increasing substantially. While this will certainly make real estate agents happy and will probably provide the city with more property tax, it also has the effect of pushing less affluent people out, as increasing living costs make their continued residence in Runnymede-Bloor West Village unaffordable. It also influences the local businesses, as businesses that do not cater to the new influx of affluent residents go out of business, either because their customer base has left or because they can no longer afford to pay their rent. I also identify the increased segregation of the neighborhood, as the racialized character of income inequality in Toronto results in people of color being priced out. Finally, I recommend that the solution to much of this increased inequality is the building of more affordable housing and restrictions of the building of unaffordable housing. Much of this will require the actions of a progressive, engaged local government. Hopefully, these steps will be able to halt or even reverse the trend of an ever-increasing cost of living, provide the local businesses with customers who do not have to spend most of their income on housing costs, and provide a short term solution to the issue of income and ethnicity-based segregation in Toronto.

Eviction and Voter Turnout: The Political Consequences of Housing Instability

In recent years, housing costs have outpaced incomes in the United States, resulting in millions of eviction filings each year. Yet no study has examined the link between eviction and voting. Drawing on a novel data set that combines tens of millions of eviction and voting records, this article finds that residential eviction rates negatively impacted voter turnout during the 2016 presidential election. Results from a generalized additive model show eviction’s effect on voter turnout to be strongest in neighborhoods with relatively low rates of displacement. To address endogeneity bias and estimate the causal effect of eviction on voting, the analysis treats commercial evictions as an instrument for residential evictions, finding that increases in neighborhood eviction rates led to substantial declines in voter turnout. This study demonstrates that the impact of eviction reverberates far beyond housing loss, affecting democratic participation.

THE GAP BETWEEN HOUSING AFFORDABILITY AND AFFORDABLE HOUSE: A CHALLENGE FOR POLICY MAKERS

Much of the literature defines housing affordability as the relationship between household income and housing expenditure (housing costs). Affordable housing refers to the affordability of the household to own or rent the housing. Housing becomes unaffordable if the housing costs exceed the income of the household. Thus, the objective of this paper is to define the difference between housing affordability and an affordable house and to identify the factors influencing the gap between housing affordability and an affordable house. To achieve the objectives of this paper, 28 variables or factors have been identified. These variables or factors are then analysed by using the descriptive method of analysis. After analysing 28 identified variables or factors, the findings show that a high house price, a high monthly repayment, the type of property ownership and the land area either extremely or moderately influenced the gap between housing affordability and an affordable house.

Viewpoint: Turning streets into housing

I argue that wide residential streets in US cities are both a contributor to homelessness and a potential strategy to provide more affordable housing. In residential neighborhoods, subdivision ordinances typically set binding standards for street width, far in excess of what is economically optimal or what private developers and residents would likely prefer. These street width standards are one contributor to high housing costs and supply restrictions, which exacerbate the housing affordability crisis in high-cost cities. Planning for autonomous vehicles highlights the overprovision of streets in urban areas. Because they can evade municipal anti-camping restrictions that restrict the use of streets by unhoused people, autonomous camper vans have the ability to blur the distinction between land for housing and land for streets. I propose two strategies through which excess street space can accommodate housing in a formalized way. First, cities could permit camper van parking on the right-of-way, analogous to liveaboard canal boats that provide housing options in some UK cities. Second, extending private residential lots into the right-of-way would create space for front-yard accessory dwelling units.

Displacement of Racially and Ethnically Minoritized Groups after the Installation of Stormwater Control Measures (i.e., Green Infrastructure): A Case Study of Washington, DC

Stormwater control measures (SCMs) (i.e., green infrastructure) are advantageous methods of stormwater management. However, studies suggest that urban greening may be associated with gentrification, displacing racially/ethnically minoritized groups due to increased housing costs and loss of feelings of belonging. We studied displacement of racially/ethnically minoritized groups after SCM installation in Washington, DC. We compared the change in percentage of persons in racial/ethnic groups at the Census block group level with varying levels of SCM installation (i.e., area-weighted SCM count at 300 m buffer). We stratified findings by SCM type, pre-installation income, and SCM size. DC installed a higher density of SCMs in areas with a higher percentage of Black and/or Hispanic/Latino residents. Nonetheless, findings suggest SCM installation is associated with displacement of Black residents. The percentage of residents who are Black decreased by 2.2% [95% Confidence Interval: 1.7, 2.7] and 4.1% [95% Confidence Interval: 3.4, 4.8] after low and high levels of SCM installation, respectively. In turn, the change in percentage of residents who are White increased with increasing levels of SCM installation. Compared to ecological studies on SCMs, studies about social impacts are scarce. This research intends to help optimize SCM installations so more residents can enjoy their health, economic, and ecological benefits.