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• 251. [Article] Multiday GPS Travel Behavior Data for Travel Analysis: The Effect of Day-to-Day Travel Time Variability on Auto Travel Choices

  This project explored the potential of archived multi-day GPS data to expand the understanding of travel-time reliability. While reliability is often observed and considered at the system or segment level, ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Multiday GPS Travel Behavior Data for Travel Analysis: The Effect of Day-to-Day Travel Time Variability on Auto Travel Choices Author: Dill, Jennifer, Broach, Joseph Paul, Deutsch-Burgne, Kate, Xu, Yanzhi, Guensler, Randall, Levinson, David, Tang, Wenyun Year: 2014 This project explored the potential of archived multi-day GPS data to expand the understanding of travel-time reliability. While reliability is often observed and considered at the system or segment level, travel-time uncertainty is also experienced at the household and trip level. Any move toward incorporating reliability into regional travel models will necessitate a re-examination of travel-time variation at more disaggregate levels. The analysis uses multiday vehicle-based GPS data analyzed within the Transportation Secure Data Center (TSDC). There were three major goals for the research. The first goal was to consider the ways in which multiday GPS data could be translated into data on reliability. The second goal was to explore relationships between trip- and household-level travel-time reliability and related trip, household, network, and urban location factors. The third goal involved use of the topic of reliability as a case study to test the usefulness of the TSDC in its current form for academic research. Title: Multiday GPS Travel Behavior Data for Travel Analysis: The Effect of Day-to-Day Travel Time Variability on Auto Travel Choices Author: Dill, Jennifer, Broach, Joseph Paul, Deutsch-Burgne, Kate, Xu, Yanzhi, Guensler, Randall, Levinson, David, Tang, Wenyun Year: 2014 This project explored the potential of archived multi-day GPS data to expand the understanding of travel-time reliability. While reliability is often observed and considered at the system or segment level, travel-time uncertainty is also experienced at the household and trip level. Any move toward incorporating reliability into regional travel models will necessitate a re-examination of travel-time variation at more disaggregate levels. The analysis uses multiday vehicle-based GPS data analyzed within the Transportation Secure Data Center (TSDC). There were three major goals for the research. The first goal was to consider the ways in which multiday GPS data could be translated into data on reliability. The second goal was to explore relationships between trip- and household-level travel-time reliability and related trip, household, network, and urban location factors. The third goal involved use of the topic of reliability as a case study to test the usefulness of the TSDC in its current form for academic research. Close

• 252. [Article] Neighborhood Identity and Sustainability: A Comparison Study of Two Neighborhoods in Portland, Oregon

  Anthropogenic impact on the environment, mainly resource depletion and pollution, is limiting the potential for future generations to have the same resources that previous generations have enjoyed. Perhaps ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Neighborhood Identity and Sustainability: A Comparison Study of Two Neighborhoods in Portland, Oregon Author: Hathaway, Zachary Lawrence Year: 2013 Anthropogenic impact on the environment, mainly resource depletion and pollution, is limiting the potential for future generations to have the same resources that previous generations have enjoyed. Perhaps one of the greatest challenges of our time will be curtailing our own personal impacts on the environment. To do this, we must adopt more sustainable lifestyles at home. This research sought to understand how neighborhood identity affects sustainability at the household level. In the summer of 2012, residents of two neighborhoods in Portland, Oregon completed 314 self-report, web-based surveys. The neighborhoods selected for this research were demographically similar, but one projected a sustainable neighborhood identity and the other did not. Survey questions were designed to determine respondents: level of engagement in their neighborhood, attitudes towards the environment, and adherence to sustainable behaviors. Findings suggest that neighborhood engagement can influence household sustainability levels in Portland. This research also suggests that the city or region may have more effect on perceived household sustainability than the neighborhood does. Title: Neighborhood Identity and Sustainability: A Comparison Study of Two Neighborhoods in Portland, Oregon Author: Hathaway, Zachary Lawrence Year: 2013 Anthropogenic impact on the environment, mainly resource depletion and pollution, is limiting the potential for future generations to have the same resources that previous generations have enjoyed. Perhaps one of the greatest challenges of our time will be curtailing our own personal impacts on the environment. To do this, we must adopt more sustainable lifestyles at home. This research sought to understand how neighborhood identity affects sustainability at the household level. In the summer of 2012, residents of two neighborhoods in Portland, Oregon completed 314 self-report, web-based surveys. The neighborhoods selected for this research were demographically similar, but one projected a sustainable neighborhood identity and the other did not. Survey questions were designed to determine respondents: level of engagement in their neighborhood, attitudes towards the environment, and adherence to sustainable behaviors. Findings suggest that neighborhood engagement can influence household sustainability levels in Portland. This research also suggests that the city or region may have more effect on perceived household sustainability than the neighborhood does. Close

• 253. [Article] Development of Destination Choice Models for Pedestrian Travel

  Most research on walking behavior has focused on mode choice or walk trip frequency. In contrast, this study is one of the first to analyze and model the destination choice behaviors of pedestrians within ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Development of Destination Choice Models for Pedestrian Travel Author: Clifton, Kelly J., Singleton, Patrick A., Muhs, Christopher D., Schneider, Robert J. Year: 2016 Most research on walking behavior has focused on mode choice or walk trip frequency. In contrast, this study is one of the first to analyze and model the destination choice behaviors of pedestrians within an entire region. Using about 4500 walk trips from a 2011 household travel survey in the Portland, Oregon, region, we estimated multinomial logit pedestrian destination choice models for six trip purposes. Independent variables included terms for impedance (walk trip distance), size (employment by type, households), supportive pedestrian environments (parks, a pedestrian index of the environment variable called PIE), barriers to walking (terrain, industrial-type employment), and traveler characteristics. Unique to this study was the use of small-scale destination zone alternatives. Distance was a significant deterrent to pedestrian destination choice, and people in carless or childless households were less sensitive to distance for some purposes. Employment (especially retail) was a strong attractor: doubling the number of jobs nearly doubled the odds of choosing a destination for home-based shopping walk trips. More attractive pedestrian environments were also positively associated with pedestrian destination choice after controlling for other factors. These results shed light on determinants of pedestrian destination choice behaviors, and sensitivities in the models highlight potential policy-levers to increase walking activity. In addition, the destination choice models can be applied in practice within existing regional travel demand models or as pedestrian planning tools to evaluate land use and transportation policy and investment scenarios. Title: Development of Destination Choice Models for Pedestrian Travel Author: Clifton, Kelly J., Singleton, Patrick A., Muhs, Christopher D., Schneider, Robert J. Year: 2016 Most research on walking behavior has focused on mode choice or walk trip frequency. In contrast, this study is one of the first to analyze and model the destination choice behaviors of pedestrians within an entire region. Using about 4500 walk trips from a 2011 household travel survey in the Portland, Oregon, region, we estimated multinomial logit pedestrian destination choice models for six trip purposes. Independent variables included terms for impedance (walk trip distance), size (employment by type, households), supportive pedestrian environments (parks, a pedestrian index of the environment variable called PIE), barriers to walking (terrain, industrial-type employment), and traveler characteristics. Unique to this study was the use of small-scale destination zone alternatives. Distance was a significant deterrent to pedestrian destination choice, and people in carless or childless households were less sensitive to distance for some purposes. Employment (especially retail) was a strong attractor: doubling the number of jobs nearly doubled the odds of choosing a destination for home-based shopping walk trips. More attractive pedestrian environments were also positively associated with pedestrian destination choice after controlling for other factors. These results shed light on determinants of pedestrian destination choice behaviors, and sensitivities in the models highlight potential policy-levers to increase walking activity. In addition, the destination choice models can be applied in practice within existing regional travel demand models or as pedestrian planning tools to evaluate land use and transportation policy and investment scenarios. Close

• 254. [Article] Development of a Pedestrian Demand Estimation Tool

  Most research on walking behavior has focused on mode choice or walk-trip frequency. In contrast, this study is one of the first to analyze the destination choice behaviors of pedestrians. Using about ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Development of a Pedestrian Demand Estimation Tool Author: Clifton, Kelly, Singleton, Patrick Allen, Muhs, Christopher D., Schneider, Robert J. Year: 2015 Most research on walking behavior has focused on mode choice or walk-trip frequency. In contrast, this study is one of the first to analyze the destination choice behaviors of pedestrians. Using about 4,500 walk trips from a 2011 household travel survey in the Portland, OR, region, we estimated multinomial logit pedestrian destination choice models for six trip purposes. Independent variables included terms for impedance (walk-trip distance); size (employment by type, households); supportive pedestrian environments (parks, a pedestrian index of the environment variable called PIE); barriers to walking (terrain, industrial-type employment); and traveler characteristics. Unique to this study was the use of small-scale destination zone alternatives. Distance was a significant deterrent to pedestrian destination choice, and people in carless or childless households were less sensitive to distance for some purposes. Employment (especially retail) was a strong attractor: doubling the number of jobs nearly doubled the odds of choosing a destination for home-based shopping walk trips. More attractive pedestrian environments were also positively associated with pedestrian destination choice after controlling for other factors. These results shed light on determinants of pedestrian destination choice behavior, and sensitivities in the models highlight potential policy-levers to increase walking activity. In addition, the destination choice models can be used in regional travel demand models or as pedestrian planning tools to evaluate land use and transportation policy and investment scenarios. Title: Development of a Pedestrian Demand Estimation Tool Author: Clifton, Kelly, Singleton, Patrick Allen, Muhs, Christopher D., Schneider, Robert J. Year: 2015 Most research on walking behavior has focused on mode choice or walk-trip frequency. In contrast, this study is one of the first to analyze the destination choice behaviors of pedestrians. Using about 4,500 walk trips from a 2011 household travel survey in the Portland, OR, region, we estimated multinomial logit pedestrian destination choice models for six trip purposes. Independent variables included terms for impedance (walk-trip distance); size (employment by type, households); supportive pedestrian environments (parks, a pedestrian index of the environment variable called PIE); barriers to walking (terrain, industrial-type employment); and traveler characteristics. Unique to this study was the use of small-scale destination zone alternatives. Distance was a significant deterrent to pedestrian destination choice, and people in carless or childless households were less sensitive to distance for some purposes. Employment (especially retail) was a strong attractor: doubling the number of jobs nearly doubled the odds of choosing a destination for home-based shopping walk trips. More attractive pedestrian environments were also positively associated with pedestrian destination choice after controlling for other factors. These results shed light on determinants of pedestrian destination choice behavior, and sensitivities in the models highlight potential policy-levers to increase walking activity. In addition, the destination choice models can be used in regional travel demand models or as pedestrian planning tools to evaluate land use and transportation policy and investment scenarios. Close

• 255. [Article] Combining Sensor Monitoring and Ethnography to Evaluate Household Latrine Usage in Rural India

  This paper advances research on methods used to evaluate sanitation usage and behavior. The research used quantitative and qualitative methods to contribute to new understanding of sanitation practices ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Combining Sensor Monitoring and Ethnography to Evaluate Household Latrine Usage in Rural India Author: O'Reilly, Kathleen, Louis, Elizabeth, Thomas, Evan A., Sinha, Antara Year: 2015 This paper advances research on methods used to evaluate sanitation usage and behavior. The research used quantitative and qualitative methods to contribute to new understanding of sanitation practices and meanings in rural India. We estimated latrine usage behavior through ethnographic interviews and sensor monitoring, specifically the latest generation of infrared toilet sensors, Portland State University Passive Latrine Use Monitors (PLUMs). Two hundred and fifty-eight rural households in West Bengal (WB) and Himachal Pradesh, India, participated in the study by allowing PLUMs to be installed in their houses for a minimum of 6 days. Six hundred interviews were taken in these households, and in others, where sensors had not been installed. Ethnographic and observational methods were used to capture the different defecation habits and their meanings in the two study sites. Those data framed the analysis of the PLUM raw data for each location. PLUMs provided reliable, quantitative verification. Interviews elicited unique information and proved essential to understanding and maximizing the PLUM data set. The combined methodological approach produced key findings that latrines in rural WB were used only for defecation, and that low cost, pit latrines were being used sustainably in both study areas. Title: Combining Sensor Monitoring and Ethnography to Evaluate Household Latrine Usage in Rural India Author: O'Reilly, Kathleen, Louis, Elizabeth, Thomas, Evan A., Sinha, Antara Year: 2015 This paper advances research on methods used to evaluate sanitation usage and behavior. The research used quantitative and qualitative methods to contribute to new understanding of sanitation practices and meanings in rural India. We estimated latrine usage behavior through ethnographic interviews and sensor monitoring, specifically the latest generation of infrared toilet sensors, Portland State University Passive Latrine Use Monitors (PLUMs). Two hundred and fifty-eight rural households in West Bengal (WB) and Himachal Pradesh, India, participated in the study by allowing PLUMs to be installed in their houses for a minimum of 6 days. Six hundred interviews were taken in these households, and in others, where sensors had not been installed. Ethnographic and observational methods were used to capture the different defecation habits and their meanings in the two study sites. Those data framed the analysis of the PLUM raw data for each location. PLUMs provided reliable, quantitative verification. Interviews elicited unique information and proved essential to understanding and maximizing the PLUM data set. The combined methodological approach produced key findings that latrines in rural WB were used only for defecation, and that low cost, pit latrines were being used sustainably in both study areas. Close

• 256. [Article] Network Indicators of the Social Ecology of Adolescents in Relative and Non-Relative Foster Households

  Though the presence, composition, and quality of social relationships—particularly as found in family networks—has an important influence on adolescent well-being, little is known about the social ecology ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Network Indicators of the Social Ecology of Adolescents in Relative and Non-Relative Foster Households Author: Blakeslee, Jennifer E., Kothari, Brianne H., McBeath, Bowen, Sorenson, Paul, Bank, Lew Year: 2017 Though the presence, composition, and quality of social relationships—particularly as found in family networks—has an important influence on adolescent well-being, little is known about the social ecology of youth in foster care. This study examined the social networks of foster youth participating in a large RCT of an intervention for siblings in foster care. Youth reported on the people they lived with and the relatives they were in contact with, which provided indicators of network size, composition, and relationship quality. Cluster analysis was used to identify five family network profiles for youth living in foster homes. Two identified subgroups reflected robust family networks where youth were living with relative caregiver(s) and related youth, and also reported multiple family ties outside the household, including with biological parents. The remaining three profiles reflected youth reports of fewer family connections within or beyond the foster household, with distinctions by whether they lived with siblings and/or reported having positive relationships with their mothers and/or fathers. The identified network profiles were validated using youth- and caregiver-reported measures of mental health functioning, with increased caregiver report of post-traumatic stress symptoms indicated for the three subgroups that were not characterized by a robust family network. © 2016 Elsevier Ltd Title: Network Indicators of the Social Ecology of Adolescents in Relative and Non-Relative Foster Households Author: Blakeslee, Jennifer E., Kothari, Brianne H., McBeath, Bowen, Sorenson, Paul, Bank, Lew Year: 2017 Though the presence, composition, and quality of social relationships—particularly as found in family networks—has an important influence on adolescent well-being, little is known about the social ecology of youth in foster care. This study examined the social networks of foster youth participating in a large RCT of an intervention for siblings in foster care. Youth reported on the people they lived with and the relatives they were in contact with, which provided indicators of network size, composition, and relationship quality. Cluster analysis was used to identify five family network profiles for youth living in foster homes. Two identified subgroups reflected robust family networks where youth were living with relative caregiver(s) and related youth, and also reported multiple family ties outside the household, including with biological parents. The remaining three profiles reflected youth reports of fewer family connections within or beyond the foster household, with distinctions by whether they lived with siblings and/or reported having positive relationships with their mothers and/or fathers. The identified network profiles were validated using youth- and caregiver-reported measures of mental health functioning, with increased caregiver report of post-traumatic stress symptoms indicated for the three subgroups that were not characterized by a robust family network. © 2016 Elsevier Ltd Close

• 257. [Article] Household Water Filter Use Characterization in Rural Rwanda: Signal Interpretation, Development and Validation

  Access to safe drinking water is an important health factor in many developing countries. Studies have shown that unsafe drinking water and poor sanitation practices leads to diarrheal disease, which is ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Household Water Filter Use Characterization in Rural Rwanda: Signal Interpretation, Development and Validation Author: Tellez Sanchez, Sarita Lucia Year: 2016 Access to safe drinking water is an important health factor in many developing countries. Studies have shown that unsafe drinking water and poor sanitation practices leads to diarrheal disease, which is one of the leading causes of death of children under five in developing countries. Provision and proper use of household water filters have been shown to effectively improve health. This thesis is focused on the refinement and validation of algorithms for data collected from pressure transducer sensors that are used in household water filters (the Vestergaard Frandsen LifeStraw Family 2.0) deployed in Rwanda by the social enterprise DelAgua Health. Statistical and signal processing techniques were used to detect the use of the LifeStraw water filters and to estimate the amount of water filtered at the time of usage. An algorithm developed by Dr. Carson Wick at Georgia Institute of Technology was the baseline for the analysis of the data. The algorithm was then refined based on data collected in the SweetLab at Portland State University, which was then applied to field data. Laboratory results indicated that the mean error of the improved algorithm is 11.5% as compared with the baseline algorithm mean error of 39%. The validation of the algorithm with field data yielded a mean error of 5%. Errors may be attributed to real-world behavior of the water filter, electronic noise, ambient temperature, and variations in the approximation made to the field data. This work also presents some consideration of the algorithm applied to soft-sided water backpacks. Title: Household Water Filter Use Characterization in Rural Rwanda: Signal Interpretation, Development and Validation Author: Tellez Sanchez, Sarita Lucia Year: 2016 Access to safe drinking water is an important health factor in many developing countries. Studies have shown that unsafe drinking water and poor sanitation practices leads to diarrheal disease, which is one of the leading causes of death of children under five in developing countries. Provision and proper use of household water filters have been shown to effectively improve health. This thesis is focused on the refinement and validation of algorithms for data collected from pressure transducer sensors that are used in household water filters (the Vestergaard Frandsen LifeStraw Family 2.0) deployed in Rwanda by the social enterprise DelAgua Health. Statistical and signal processing techniques were used to detect the use of the LifeStraw water filters and to estimate the amount of water filtered at the time of usage. An algorithm developed by Dr. Carson Wick at Georgia Institute of Technology was the baseline for the analysis of the data. The algorithm was then refined based on data collected in the SweetLab at Portland State University, which was then applied to field data. Laboratory results indicated that the mean error of the improved algorithm is 11.5% as compared with the baseline algorithm mean error of 39%. The validation of the algorithm with field data yielded a mean error of 5%. Errors may be attributed to real-world behavior of the water filter, electronic noise, ambient temperature, and variations in the approximation made to the field data. This work also presents some consideration of the algorithm applied to soft-sided water backpacks. Close

• 258. [Article] Sticky Points in Modeling Household Energy Consumption

  A variety of approaches have been proposed to explaining individual household energy consumption, its variation, and its potential reduction. Some focus on technology, some on costs, and some on a combination ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Sticky Points in Modeling Household Energy Consumption Author: Lutzenhiser, Loren, Moezzi, Mithra, Hungerford, David, Friedmann, Rafael Year: 2010 A variety of approaches have been proposed to explaining individual household energy consumption, its variation, and its potential reduction. Some focus on technology, some on costs, and some on a combination of behaviors, attitudes, intentions, and norms. All try to make sense of a problem that, from a modeling perspective, involves hundreds of potentially important factors, yet is supported by highly inadequate or at best selective data. While there is value in "doing the best one can" with the resources at hand, building a defensible science requires a cold hard look at the quality of theory, research and data. This paper draws upon the authors' assessment of data and critical literature review to examine the implications of common "sticky points" in modeling residential energy consumption. These include: variability in consumption within and across households, data quality issues, conflicts among various modeling approaches and underlying theoretical constructs, and tacit beliefs about causal relationships. The combination of uncertainties in these areas can lead to adoption of cautious (and sometimes misleading) assumptions, and to conservative policy approaches that hedge against behavioral failures in efforts to secure energy savings. Title: Sticky Points in Modeling Household Energy Consumption Author: Lutzenhiser, Loren, Moezzi, Mithra, Hungerford, David, Friedmann, Rafael Year: 2010 A variety of approaches have been proposed to explaining individual household energy consumption, its variation, and its potential reduction. Some focus on technology, some on costs, and some on a combination of behaviors, attitudes, intentions, and norms. All try to make sense of a problem that, from a modeling perspective, involves hundreds of potentially important factors, yet is supported by highly inadequate or at best selective data. While there is value in "doing the best one can" with the resources at hand, building a defensible science requires a cold hard look at the quality of theory, research and data. This paper draws upon the authors' assessment of data and critical literature review to examine the implications of common "sticky points" in modeling residential energy consumption. These include: variability in consumption within and across households, data quality issues, conflicts among various modeling approaches and underlying theoretical constructs, and tacit beliefs about causal relationships. The combination of uncertainties in these areas can lead to adoption of cautious (and sometimes misleading) assumptions, and to conservative policy approaches that hedge against behavioral failures in efforts to secure energy savings. Close

• 259. [Article] Milk Teeth and Jet Planes: Kin Relations in Families of Sri Lanka’s Transnational Domestic Servants

  This essay examines the confluence of local and global dynamics, exploring how transnational migration affects and is affected by gender roles, kinship relations, intergenerational obligations, and ideologies ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Milk Teeth and Jet Planes: Kin Relations in Families of Sri Lanka’s Transnational Domestic Servants Author: Gamburd, Michele Ruth Year: 2008 This essay examines the confluence of local and global dynamics, exploring how transnational migration affects and is affected by gender roles, kinship relations, intergenerational obligations, and ideologies of parenthood. Journeying to the Middle East repeated on two-year labor contracts, many of Sri Lanka’s migrant housemaids leave behind their husbands and children. Women’s long-term absences reorganize and disrupt widely accepted gendered attributions of parenting roles, with fathers and female relatives taking over household tasks. Migrants say that economic difficulties prompt migration, and assess commitment to kin in financial terms. The government also benefits from remittances. Nevertheless, stakeholders (villagers, politicians, and the national media) worry about the social costs born by children. Drawing on interviews with the adult children of migrant mothers in four extended families in the Sri Lankan coastal village of Naeaegama, I examine the long-term effects of transnational labor migration on local households. I look into marital tensions between husbands and wives regarding domestic duties, and I consider emerging changes in intergenerational obligations. The case studies do not support media claims that children suffer abuse and neglect in their mothers’ absence, but do in part support survey information on reduced education, shifting marriage patterns, and paternal alcohol consumption. This paper contributes to the debate on the intersection of globalization and kinship studies, and explores the politics of representation at work in the discourse surrounding the social costs of migration. Title: Milk Teeth and Jet Planes: Kin Relations in Families of Sri Lanka’s Transnational Domestic Servants Author: Gamburd, Michele Ruth Year: 2008 This essay examines the confluence of local and global dynamics, exploring how transnational migration affects and is affected by gender roles, kinship relations, intergenerational obligations, and ideologies of parenthood. Journeying to the Middle East repeated on two-year labor contracts, many of Sri Lanka’s migrant housemaids leave behind their husbands and children. Women’s long-term absences reorganize and disrupt widely accepted gendered attributions of parenting roles, with fathers and female relatives taking over household tasks. Migrants say that economic difficulties prompt migration, and assess commitment to kin in financial terms. The government also benefits from remittances. Nevertheless, stakeholders (villagers, politicians, and the national media) worry about the social costs born by children. Drawing on interviews with the adult children of migrant mothers in four extended families in the Sri Lankan coastal village of Naeaegama, I examine the long-term effects of transnational labor migration on local households. I look into marital tensions between husbands and wives regarding domestic duties, and I consider emerging changes in intergenerational obligations. The case studies do not support media claims that children suffer abuse and neglect in their mothers’ absence, but do in part support survey information on reduced education, shifting marriage patterns, and paternal alcohol consumption. This paper contributes to the debate on the intersection of globalization and kinship studies, and explores the politics of representation at work in the discourse surrounding the social costs of migration. Close

• 260. [Article] A Health Impact Assessment of Proposed Changes in Rental Housing Policy in Corvallis, Oregon

  Housing is the single most important environmental factor associated with high rates of mortality and morbidity (United Nations, 2007). Most Americans spend about 90% of their time indoors, and an estimated ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: A Health Impact Assessment of Proposed Changes in Rental Housing Policy in Corvallis, Oregon Author: Householder, Sydney Housing is the single most important environmental factor associated with high rates of mortality and morbidity (United Nations, 2007). Most Americans spend about 90% of their time indoors, and an estimated two-thirds of that is spent in the home (Klepeis et al., 2001). Studies show a link between substandard housing and poor health outcomes (Dales, Miller, and McMullen, 1997). American rental housing tends to be of lesser quality than owner-occupied housing. According to the American Housing Survey, 11% of renter-households were categorized as having moderate to severe physical and/or structural problems, compared to just 3% of owner-occupied households (National Center for Healthy Housing, 2006). Further, renters who are members of vulnerable populations, such as low-income, minority, undocumented, or student renters, generally face worse housing conditions than their more advantaged counterparts (National Center for Healthy Housing, 2012; Johnson et al, 2009). The City of Corvallis is home to Oregon State University (OSU). In recent years, the student population of OSU has grown rapidly and, as some have argued, unsustainably. One problem that has risen from the growth of the student population was a reduction in the availability of rental housing. The vacancy rate for rental housing dropped to rates as low as 0.1% in 2010, by one city planner's estimate (Day, 2012). This reduction in rental availability has had an impact of the quality of rental housing available to the students and low-income renters in Corvallis, with rental housing becoming more and more substandard. This MPP Essay examines this issue from a social equity perspective. Title: A Health Impact Assessment of Proposed Changes in Rental Housing Policy in Corvallis, Oregon Author: Householder, Sydney Housing is the single most important environmental factor associated with high rates of mortality and morbidity (United Nations, 2007). Most Americans spend about 90% of their time indoors, and an estimated two-thirds of that is spent in the home (Klepeis et al., 2001). Studies show a link between substandard housing and poor health outcomes (Dales, Miller, and McMullen, 1997). American rental housing tends to be of lesser quality than owner-occupied housing. According to the American Housing Survey, 11% of renter-households were categorized as having moderate to severe physical and/or structural problems, compared to just 3% of owner-occupied households (National Center for Healthy Housing, 2006). Further, renters who are members of vulnerable populations, such as low-income, minority, undocumented, or student renters, generally face worse housing conditions than their more advantaged counterparts (National Center for Healthy Housing, 2012; Johnson et al, 2009). The City of Corvallis is home to Oregon State University (OSU). In recent years, the student population of OSU has grown rapidly and, as some have argued, unsustainably. One problem that has risen from the growth of the student population was a reduction in the availability of rental housing. The vacancy rate for rental housing dropped to rates as low as 0.1% in 2010, by one city planner's estimate (Day, 2012). This reduction in rental availability has had an impact of the quality of rental housing available to the students and low-income renters in Corvallis, with rental housing becoming more and more substandard. This MPP Essay examines this issue from a social equity perspective. Close