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Introduction Anecdotal evidence suggests that parents protect their children from food insecurity and its effects, but few studies have concurrently assessed food insecurity among youth and parents. The purpose of this study was to examine food insecurity and eating behaviors among an urban sample of mother-adolescent dyads. Methods Mother-adolescent dyads (n = 55) were from six public housing sites in Phoenix, Arizona who completed surveys during 2014. Multivariate mixed linear and logistic regression models assessed the relationship between mother and adolescent eating behaviors in the context of food insecurity. Results Food insecurity was prevalent with 65.4% of parents and 43.6% of adolescents reporting food insecurity; 34.5% of parents and 14.5% of adolescents reported very low food security. After adjusting for food insecurity status, parents' and adolescents' fruit, vegetable, and sugar-sweetened beverage consumption was not associated. However, significant associations were observed between mothers' and adolescents' fast food intake (β = 0.52; p < 0.001), family meal intake (β = 0.52; p = 0.001), mindful eating (β = 0.51; p = 0.032), and binge eating (OR 8.05; p = 0.011). Discussion Parents may protect their adolescent children against food insecurity given the lower prevalence of food insecurity observed among adolescents. Interventions addressing food insecurity among mothers and adolescents may want to capitalize on shared eating patterns and address issues related to binge eating and leverage site-based strengths of public housing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Rationales used to legitimize forced dispersal and mixed-income housing policies are socially constructed based on assumptions about concentrated poverty. This study evaluates qualitative data on public housing residents who were in the process of being dispersed as part of a HOPE VI program in order to examine their thoughts about their original home and neighborhood. Residents' thoughts about their neighborhood are compared to policy rationales. Results indicate that current policy rationales are mostly in line with the goals and motivation of the city but are largely incongruent with the perceptions residents have of their pre-relocation home and neighborhood. The article concludes with policy recommendations for increasing and incorporating residents' views into policy design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The lack of regional housing coordination in metropolitan areas has led to a disparity in the distribution of affordable housing. In its place is a haphazard, ad hoc system for developing and supplying affordable housing. Through a descriptive analysis of the greater Phoenix metropolitan regional housing arena, this study explores the positions of public, nonprofit, and private agencies in a network of participants producing affordable housing and the implications of the structure of this network for the successful implementation of affordable housing policies. Results show that the number of contacts actors had in the network are on average low, that private organizations are few and yet becoming more involved through partnerships with NPOs, and that government agencies have the potential to be brokers in the affordable housing network but currently do not take or are unwilling to take advantage of that position. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]