Why focus on housing and education when combatting poverty?

Eradicating poverty is a mammoth task, one that—without the right approach—will remain unaccomplished despite governments and nonprofits throwing billions of dollars at the cause.

Today, as much as 80% of the world still lives in poverty! In the U.S. alone, 42 million Americans live below the poverty line—including 15 million children.

In the face of such overwhelming hardship, nonprofits have to be better at producing real, life-changing results for the poor. By failing to so so, the number of impoverished families and communities worldwide will only continue to rise.

That’s why, at MPPH, we are committed to addressing the root causes of poverty according to top social research: a dire lack of access to safe housing and quality education.

Research shows that providing the building blocks of opportunity—safe, reliable housing and and access to education—to low-income individuals, especially children, is the most economical and effective approach to eradicating poverty.

By creating stable home environments through affordable housing, families are able to maintain critical relationships, stay involved in their community. and work toward long-term financial independence.

And by creating opportunities for advancement through access to quality education, children have been proven to have more and better job prospects, better health, and a greater capacity to positively impact their communities.

If we, as mortgage professionals, want to maximize our impact in combatting poverty both here in the United States and across the world, we have to address the global affordable housing and education crises.

But don’t take our word for it! We’ve compiled a library of scholarly articles, news and opinion pieces, and books dedicated to exploring the relationship between housing, education, and poverty.