Collaboration and Service Improvement:

• Support implementation of Keys to the Valley strategy recommendations to increase the number of housing units across the Upper Valley, with a special focus on equity. 

Education:

• Continue VC’ Business Leaders Breakfast on Housing (1x/year) to educate business leaders on economic impact of the current housing crisis. 

Advocacy:

• Host Bi-State Legislative Breakfast every two years to engage state policy makers in discussion of local health priorities. 

• Educate policy makers and others about the health impacts of the current housing crisis. 

Equity:

• Educate policy makers and others about the health impacts of the current housing crisis on low-income and other marginalized groups. 

• Improve referral networks and capacity to support vulnerable populations in the places where they live. 

Income inequality can decrease the trust and cohesiveness of a community and increase political polarization. In addition, countries with higher income inequality experience lower economic growth. This lower economic growth can be primarily traced back to barriers to accessing quality education for people with less economic means. Income inequality can be reduced by increasing the minimum wage and broadening the scope and funding for social welfare systems.

• Vital Communities (VC)
• Regional Planning Commissions (RPCs)
• Twin Pines Housing
• Lebanon Housing Authority
• Windham & Windsor Housing Trust
• Springfield Housing Authority 
• Public Health Council (PHC)

Data Overview: The US Census Bureau releases the American Community Survey (ACS) yearly. The ACS has a smaller reach than the decennial census, but asks similar questions to obtain yearly data.

Limitations: Five years of income inequality data are pooled together for each data point. Utilizing multiple years of increases data accuracy, but makes ascertaining short-term trends more challenging. As such, utilizing this metric to track progress is not recommended.