Local health departments addressing the social determinants of health: A national survey on the foreclosure crisis
Monday, February 25, 2019The foreclosure crisis has had more than just financial consequences for families throughout the United States; it has also been linked to negative mental and physical health outcomes and has disproportionately harmed communities of color. What role, then, should local health departments (LHDs) play in addressing social determinants of health, such as housing? In this article for the journal Health Equity, BMSG’s Katherine Schaff and Lori Dorfman report that more than a quarter of LHDs engaged in work related to the foreclosure crisis, and 30 percent of those surveyed said that LHDs should work on this issue.