Fact Sheet

Nearly half of renters in the U.S. are “cost burdened,” spending more than 30 percent of their incomes on housing, and about one in four renters spend more than 50 percent of their incomes on housing (“severe” cost burden). Cost burden leaves struggling renters with less to spend on other important needs such as healthcare. This fact sheet examines the use of rent control and rent stabilization policies to stop or slow increases in the price of rent, and whether they, or alternative approaches, are more effective at reducing the number of people considered to be cost burdened.

More than two million eviction cases are filed against tenants each year in the United States. That’s roughly one eviction filing every four minutes. Eviction can impact the physical, psychological, and economic health of individuals, families, and communities for years, and yet the vast majority of tenants navigate these weighty eviction proceedings without the help of legal counsel. This resource outlines various approaches to providing legal counsel to those facing eviction.

People who experience homelessness report overall poorer health. Homelessness itself also makes it more difficult for people to secure medical treatment, manage medications, access consistent or healthy food sources, and protect themselves from weather extremes and communicable diseases. People who experience housing instability similarly experience a range of negative health impacts. Knowing the negative relationship between housing instability and health, communities can choose to invest in infrastructure and resources to better respond to homelessness. This resource outlines possible measures to support housing stability in the community.

Infections among people who use drugs related to lack of access to new syringes and subsequent syringe sharing among people who inject drugs have increased dramatically. Increasing access to sterile syringes through syringe services programs (SSPs) is an extremely effective strategy for reducing the spread of bloodborne disease among people who use drugs, their partners, and their families. This factsheet discusses the legality of SSPs in Maryland.

Health and safety concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic prompted many states to temporarily adjust driver licensing processes and requirements; for novice drivers in some states, this meant waiving road tests, reducing permit holding periods, and/or offering online driver education. This report discusses changes that were made to Graduated Drivers Licensing programs in five states during the pandemic, including stakeholder reactions, whether the changes remained in place after the pandemic, and why.

Tattoos have become increasingly popular across many demographics. State and local laws should be in place to ensure sanitary conditions in tattoo businesses and proper training of artists. This resource outlines the National Environmental Health Association Model Code related to tattoos, which states and local governments can use as a guideline for developing effective regulations.

Extreme heat is the number one cause of weather-related death in the United States. Indoor and outdoor workers are particularly at risk during extreme days. This resource outlines federal, state, and local legal and policy protections for indoor and outdoor workers; and barriers to protecting this workforce, including legal methods like preemption – a legal method used by a higher level of government to limit the authority of a lower level of government – that can be used by some to override existing or potential local protections.

Cannabis use among youth is linked to harmful effects on attention, memory and decision-making, coordination, and mental health. One way to reduce youth cannabis use is to regulate outdoor cannabis advertising. This fact sheet analyzes the outdoor advertising restrictions and policies in jurisdictions that have legalized cannabis for medical and/or recreational purposes.

Because of the potential harms cannabis use poses to youth, many states place restrictions on cannabis advertising. Courts are divided as to whether such restrictions violate a business’s First Amendment rights to engage in commercial speech. This fact sheet details how, depending on the scope and characteristics of a state’s advertising policy, cannabis advertising can be constitutionally restricted in order to protect children’s health.

Drug overdose continues to claim the lives of tens of thousands of people in the U.S. every year. Opioids, both prescription painkillers and street drugs such as heroin and illicitly manufactured fentanyl, are responsible for the majority of these deaths. In response, states have passed legislation to increase access to the opioid overdose reversal medication naloxone, including provisions that allow for the distribution of naloxone through pharmacies. Some states have gone further and now require that naloxone be prescribed or offered to some patients. This fact sheet describes those requirements and links to the relevant laws.

The major opioid settlement agreements generally do not address “supplantation,” the practice of using settlement funds to support an existing initiative rather than starting or investing in new initiatives.  Some states have enacted laws, rules, or guidelines that restrict or prohibit such supplantation. This fact sheet provides a description and brief analysis of how various states are addressing this issue.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about one in five private wells contain unhealthy levels of contaminants. While a landmark federal law, the Safe Drinking Water Act, generally protects individuals that use a public water supply from exposure to unsafe levels of regulated contaminants, there is no similar protection for U.S. residents who rely on private wells for water. State laws and policies requiring water quality testing of private wells vary both in scope and the extent to which that water quality data is made available to the public. This resource provides a sample of state laws that highlight key similarities and differences between water quality testing programs.