May 05, 2022

Lead in and around homes poisons thousands of children in the Midwest, disproportionately affecting Black children and kids in low-income neighborhoods. In Missouri, Black children are nearly twice as likely to experience lead poisoning as white peers. “We know that there is no safe level, that even at really low levels, it can affect intellectual growth, cognitive development,” said Elizabeth Friedman, a physician and director of the Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit.

American homeowners have gained more than $6 trillion in housing wealth over the past two years. Meanwhile, the housing crisis has left many with few affordable options and has put homeownership further out of reach. “There’s this set of kids whose parents don’t own a home and so didn’t see this increase in wealth,” said Emily Wiemers, an economist at Syracuse University.

Amid rising grocery costs, communities across the country are using American Rescue Plan funds to attract or revive grocery stores in areas that lack access to nutritious foods. These food deserts mostly affect families of color and those with low incomes. “Our large grocery stores have a business model that’s built on education and income. They don’t build them in the neighborhoods where we need them,” said Beverley Wheeler, director of DC Hunger Solutions.

The Church of the Messiah in Islandview, Detroit, operates a housing cooperation that has been buying property since the late 1970s. They provide affordable housing for households with low incomes and foster community-based economic development. Unlike outside developers, the church works with renters to determine affordability, instead of using traditional measures: “affordable for Detroit,” according to Pastor Barry Randolph.