Team Members
- Danielle Spurlock
- Allison C. De Marco
- Donna M. Carrington
Research Project Description
Multiple disciplines (e.g., urban planning, sociology, law, public policy) assert the U.S. housing system's structurally racist practices affect housing acquisition, maintenance, and appreciation. Renters or individuals using assistance to secure shelter are subject to market scarcity and power dynamics that incentivize substandard housing while creating financial burden. Housing owners in historically Black and Brown neighborhoods experience differential access to capital and municipal disinvestment in grey and green infrastructure, which contributes to inequitable wealth creation.
This research project examines how improvements in housing stability along a spectrum from unhoused to homeownership affect individual and household financial, social, physical, and psychological well-being. Individuals create their own package of solutions using CEF's Housing First model, which provides a suite of housing interventions ranging from informational curriculum to support applying for housing assistance to down payment matching funds. We will extend the knowledge base on housing stability and health by
- Linking individual and household health at a finer scale than the neighborhood or census tract
- Exploring these topics in a region with mid-sized cities experiencing varying levels of gentrification and displacement
- Examining the role climate change vulnerability plays in housing instability.
Studies linking health and housing studies often use datasets or a geographic scale that obscure the impact of different configurations of stability interventions. Much of the research on gentrification and displacement occurs in larger cities, but population growth and development interest in mid-size cities require a better understanding of how housing dynamics and governance structures affect health. Finally, communities marginalized in our current housing system are acutely vulnerable to climate change and their expertise and experience should guide local
Team Members
Danielle Spurlock
Danielle Spurlock is an assistant professor in the Department of City and Regional Planning at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her research focuses on the quality and implementation of plans and policy in urban contexts with special attention to environmental and social justice. Dr. Spurlock's work investigates how technical expertise and local knowledge can be synthesized within local policies that address gentrification, displacement, and health disparities.
Allison C. De Marco
Allison De Marco is an Advanced Research Scientist at the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, Equity Lead at the Jordan Institute for Families, and Adjunct Faculty at the School of Social Work at UNC-Chapel Hill. Her research focuses on racial equity, poverty, neighborhood effects, work and family, and community-driven economic justice. She is committed to advancing racially-equitable research methods and community and equity-informed policy-making in housing and homelessness.
Donna M. Carrington
Donna is the Executive Director of CEF. Donna came to CEF as a formerly homeless member in 2014 and has steadily moved through the ranks of CEF since. She managed CEF's Homebuyer's and Renter's Individual Development Account (IDA) pilots and before becoming the Housing Stabilization Specialist in Durham. In October 2019, she transitioned to a Co-Director role, helping to manage the Durham office. On March 16, 2020, Donna became CEF's first Executive Director.
