#e report proceeds to describe the cultural models that the public uses to think about housing and health.
As all people have experiences with housing, it is not surprising that they bring a powerful set of cultural
models to thinking about this topic. Some of these ways of thinking lead people to be concerned about
housing issues, but at the same time limit people's ability to recognize the types of solutions that are
needed. Most critically, our research shows that people have a strong tendency to personalize housing
issues, which in turn prevents them from seeing the structural sources of housing problems and dampens
support for the policies and programs that can effectively address these problems.
#e "nal section of the report identi"es where expert and public understandings of housing and healthy
housing overlap and diverge. #is "Map the Gaps" analysis identi"es the primary challenges in effectively
communicating with the public about housing and health. We conclude the report by offering provisional
recommendations, and chart a course for future research to develop an effective, comprehensive strategy
for communicating about housing.
"A House, a Tent, a Box": Mapping the Gaps Between Expert and Public Understanding of Healthy Housing 4
