Today’s news round-up takes a look at news from the end of the year that shows the inextricable link between housing stability and Americans’ economic security.

An analysis from the Urban Institute suggests that Oklahoma City is the most economically secure city in the nation. A key factor? Housing: The Urban Institute used NLIHC’s Out of Reach data to give the city an “A” grade in housing affordability.

Transitioning out of homelessness on one’s own isn’t so easy, even for those who have a job. As this blog post notes, with rents across the country exceeding what minimum wage workers can afford, a steady income alone is rarely enough to help people out of homelessness.

Housing choice vouchers are one resource for extremely low income people seeking to close the gap between market rents and what they can afford to pay each month. But in Chattanooga, adjustments to the way voucher funding is distributed mean a cut to the money paid to landlords, potentially putting a squeeze on the program.

Meanwhile, continued cuts to federal funding for housing programs will only make waiting lists for housing assistance, like the one in Bridgeport, longer.