In This Story
Jenna Krall, associate professor, Global and Community Health; Lucas R.F. Henneman, assistant professor, Sid and Reva Dewberry Department of Civil, Environmental, and Infrastructure Engineering; Marybeth "MB" Mitcham, assistant professor, Global and Community Health; and Luis Ortiz, assistant professor, Atmospheric, Oceanic and Earth Sciences, received funding for the project: “Housing insecurity, heat, and health: A coalition for resiliency.”
The researchers aim to foster a new, innovative partnership between academic researchers and community partners that integrates expertise in homelessness, housing, environmental exposures, and public health to determine how housing policies can mitigate environment-related health risks, specifically air pollution and extreme heat, among unhoused and housing insecure populations.
"By bringing together experts in public health, environmental science, and housing, we aim to better understand how these challenges are interrelated, grounded in the lived experiences of those most affected," said Krall, the principal investigator.
The project will utilize national-level housing, air quality, heat, demographic, and vulnerability data to identify U.S. counties that are at the greatest risk impacts to housing insecure and unhoused populations. The George Mason researchers are partnering with two non-profit organizations, Centro de Apoyo Familiar and The Lamb Center, to understand how environmental hazards affect those experiencing housing insecurity and homelessness. CAF is a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)-approved housing agency serving Washington metropolitan area residents. The Lamb Center is a daytime drop-in shelter for those experiencing homelessness in Fairfax, VA.
"Our research here tackles an existing problem that will only get worse under a changing climate: exposure to heat and air pollution in unhoused individuals," Ortiz said.
They hold that their work will provide valuable insights for policymakers seeking to integrate climate resilience into housing policies, ultimately improving the health and well-being of those who are most at risk.
“This research coalition exemplifies the spirit of George Mason’s Grand Challenge Initiative by addressing the urgent intersection of heat and housing insecurity. Through interdisciplinary collaboration with community partners, we aim to advance public health and contribute to a more resilient future," said Krall.
The researchers received $20,000 from The George Washington University on a subaward from the National Institutes of Health. Funding began in March 2025 and will end in late August 2025.
Story originally appeared on the College of Science website.