Brianne Schell, J.D., M.A., serves as a staff attorney with the Network’s Eastern Region Office. In her time with the Network, she has produced resources in a variety of subject areas including housing affordability, equity in recreational cannabis legalization, tobacco regulation, and more. Her work currently focuses on environmental health, cannabis policy, and safe driving policies. 

 

Brianne’s passion for public health and policy began with her undergraduate studies, earning her B.S. in Public Health with a specialization in sociology from the Ohio State University College of Public Health in 2018. She also earned her J.D. and M.A. in Public Policy and Management from the Ohio State University in 2021. During her time at Ohio State, Brianne conducted legal and policy research for the Ohio General Assembly and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Public Health Law Program, advocated for the legal rights of impoverished Ohioans, and contributed to academic legal works on tobacco regulation and criminal sexual harassment law.

Articles & Resources

Mortgage and Homeownership Assistance

Fact SheetHealthy and Affordable Housing

January 11, 2022
by Brianne Schell

Research indicates that policies designed to facilitate home ownership may do more to improve health and wellbeing, as well as economic stability, than renter protections. Home ownership rates in the U.S. remain low, especially among Black and Hispanic residents. One of the significant barriers is the need for most first-time homebuyers to obtain mortgages, which require that they have decent credit scores, steady incomes, and cash reserves to qualify. Federal and state mortgage lenders and/or assistance programs can remove some of these barriers to homeownership.

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Public Housing and Social Determinants of Health

Fact SheetHealthy and Affordable Housing

December 15, 2021
by Brianne Schell

Public housing is one of three forms of rental assistance programs used in the U.S. and has the potential to improve public health by addressing the need for quality affordable housing. However, significant changes are needed to match the successes seen in other countries. This resource examines public housing programs in other countries, the current state of public housing in the U.S., and the need for federal policy changes and increased investment in public housing.

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COVID-19’s Impact on Childbirth: The Growing Popularity of Out-of-Hospital Deliveries and Barriers to Access

Law & Policy InsightsCOVID-19COVID-19 and Health EquityMaternal and Child Health

November 17, 2021
by Brianne Schell

Increased fear over the safety of hospitals along with policies designed to prevent the spread of COVID-19, including limiting the number of guests allowed in delivery rooms, mandating inductions or caesarian sections, and separating newborns from birthing parents suspected of having COVID-19, has driven many families to make the decision to give birth at home or at a birthing center. The increased demand for out-of-hospital deliveries has quickly overwhelmed the limited number of birth centers and midwives providing home birth services in the U.S.–highlighting a gap in the country’s healthcare system. Changes in state licensure schemes and practice regulations for midwives and birthing centers could make out-of-hospital births more accessible and affordable.

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