This chapter explores the importance of housing for public health. There are ample data linking poor housing conditions to a broad range of infectious diseases, chronic diseases, injuries, childhood development and nutrition issues, and mental health concerns. In addition, the burden of poor housing is not distributed evenly across populations. Families with fewer resources are likelier to live in unhealthy homes, and they are less likely to be able to improve the condition of their living situations. Moreover, high housing costs often put families and individuals in the position of having to trade between healthy housing and other basic necessities, such as food or medication. Structural forces perpetuate housing inequities. Landlords and real estate agents have contributed to racial/ethnic segregation by blocking minorities from moving to predominately white neighborhoods, which often leads to the exclusion of minorities from high-quality housing, schools, and other public services. Further, predominantly minority communities receive less investment from lenders to improve housing quality and neighborhood environments. Thus, improving housing must mean improving housing equity, so that all can access the benefits of having a safe, healthy place to live.