Health Risks Lowered By Moving From “High-Poverty” Neighborhoods

Living in “high-poverty” neighborhoods causes serious health problems that can be corrected by relocating to more affluent areas, according to a government study that the Obama Administration is using to pave the way for yet another costly entitlement program.

In fact, moving to “low-poverty neighborhoods” actually decreases the risk of obesity and diabetes for poor people, say the droves of scientists and academics who conducted the in-depth study for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).  This proves that concentrated poverty is, not only bad policy, it’s bad for your health, according to Obama’s HUD secretary, Shaun Donovan.

“Far too often we can predict a family’s overall health, even their life expectancy, by knowing their zip code,” Donovan said in a statement announcing the results of the years-long project. “But it’s not enough to simply move families into different neighborhoods.  We must continue to look for innovative and strategic ways to connect families to the necessary supports they need to break the cycle of poverty that can quite literally make them sick.”

Obama’s Health and Human Services Secretary (Kathleen Sebelius) also weighed in, pointing out that “where you live can be critical to your health” and stressing that families need quality housing and access to “healthy and affordable foods to promote better health and wellness.” That last line clearly refers to Michelle Obama’s multi-million-dollar plan to eliminate so-called “food deserts,” inner-city neighborhoods low on fresh produce, lean meats and other healthy cuisine.  

This particular study focused on families living in government-subsidized public housing projects in major cities like Los Angeles, New York and Chicago. The Obama Administration got the Massachusetts Medical Society’s influential periodical (New England Journal of Medicine) to publish the entire study which took years to complete. In all, 4,500 “very low-income” families were analyzed to determine the impact of “housing mobility” on obesity and diabetes.  

Unequivocally, giving very poor families the opportunity to move to better neighborhoods can have a positive impact on physical health, researchers found. As an example, the study says that women who were given vouchers by the government to relocate to “low-poverty neighborhoods” showed a “significantly reduced rate of extreme obesity” than the women who did not receive the vouchers. Likewise, the prevalence rate for diabetes was also much higher for women who were not relocated to better neighborhoods by Uncle Sam.  

After sorting through the compelling anecdotes and statistics offered in this latest taxpayer-funded enterprise, the bottom line is quite clear: The Obama Administration is using it to justify the creation of yet another entitlement program, which undoubtedly will end up costing taxpayers a big chunk of change.