In 2023, Policies for Action (P4A) continued to focus its policy research on dismantling systems of inequity that drive the gaps in health and wealth along racial lines. P4A projects were encouraged to have a racial equity lens in their design, as the evidence mounts for treating racism as a public health issue.

The research funded in 2023 included eight projects investigating the impact of policies that could close the racial wealth gap for families and communities that have been impacted by structural racism. Policy topics include guaranteed income, payday lending, reparations, and public banking. This work will be critical in building an evidence base that can inform policy conversations that have the potential to advance racial justice and health equity.

P4A 2023 Policy Research Highlights

In 2023, P4A research was featured in presentations at more than 30 conferences and in front of key audiences that included the White House Domestic Policy Council’s Interagency Policy Committee on Housing Supply, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, and the Asheville City and Buncombe County Reparations Commission. There were 38 publications and derivative products over the year, and P4A research was cited by top-tier media outlets including The New York Times, CBS News, and the Chicago Sun-Times.

See all P4A research released in 2023

Seeking Solutions for Affordable Housing

Housing-focused studies examined whether policies are producing more affordable housing or fueling gentrification, whether rent control and inclusionary zoning actually work, and whether mortgage credits could help more low-income people achieve home ownership.

Researchers at Portland State University studied a first-in-the-nation initiative to create affordable housing and overcome gentrification in a formerly Black neighborhood. They found that many returning residents experienced a particular value from living in a neighborhood where they had deep historical connections, and many achieved greater economic stability and benefits from residing in a high-opportunity neighborhood.

Anne Ray of the Shimberg Center for Housing Studies at the University of Florida and Ashon Nesbitt and Blaise Denton of the Florida Housing Coalition studied Florida's State Housing Initiatives Partnership (SHIP) program, which helps locals afford housing in gentrifying areas. Do such local programs, lacking specific rules for fairness, truly promote equity? They find hope in SHIP, suggesting local efforts can tackle housing disparities, especially for Black and Hispanic households, despite ongoing barriers.

Investigations into Reparative Economic and Health Policy

P4A researchers investigated the effectiveness of direct cash transfers to households during economic downturns, examined whether the U.S. tax code operates without racial bias, and explored a community's experiences following its recognition of racism as a public health crisis. Additionally, one groundbreaking project introduced a framework for creating or refining healthcare policies with an awareness of racial issues, while another offered a nationwide analysis of energy insecurity and how it affects health. 

Researchers at the New School explored a potential nationwide direct cash payments program that would automatically kick in when economic indicators point to a recession and phase out when the national unemployment rate begins to decline. Simulations of the last three recessions showed that this type of program would increase income for the average American family and provide an even bigger boost for the average Black family.

Researchers at the Urban Institute published Racial Disparities in the Treatment of Capital Income In the Federal Individual Income Tax. This study analyzed the impacts of policy changes to individual income tax when race is factored in, and found that tax policies are not always race neutral. The research team provides three policy solutions that could help mitigate racial disparities in income and wealth. 

A Praxis Project brief, Equity in Action? Assessing the Role of Community in Declarations of Racism as a Public Health Crisis, summarized how local areas declared racism a health crisis and involved communities in the process. They looked at community groups' roles and media coverage to inform recommendations for better community involvement and breaking down barriers between communities.

Researchers at the University of Minnesota proposed five steps to a racism-conscious approach to policy making and health care practices that rest on continuous community engagement and policy evaluation. This framework is a tool that can be used by policy makers at all levels to develop or redesign health policies that address racism and advance health equity.

Diana Hernández at the University of Columbia published a policy brief, Energy Security and Health: America’s Hidden Hardship, that provides an overview of the prevalence and distribution of energy insecurity in the U.S., the impacts of energy insecurity on health, and an overview of current policy initiatives to address energy insecurity and its adverse health effects and recommendations for improvement.

The Way Forward: 2024

In 2024, P4A will fund two cohorts of researchers centering community engagement, racial justice and health equity in their research. The first cohort will be investigating the effects of state preemption policies on racial justice and health equity. The second cohort will examine policies that can advance the full social, economic, and civic inclusion of immigrant families in the U.S. 

P4A will continue to stand on three pillars to build trust and advance equity in how we approach research that builds the evidence for effective policies.

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