Every parent recognizes the inextricable connections between where we live and the quality of our children's education. Although public policies have historically contributed to disparities in both neighborhood affordability and school quality, federal programs focused on affordable housing rarely take public schools into account and school officials typically assume that they have no influence over housing patterns. This paper focuses on four principles regarding the vitality and performance of schools and communities, discussing opportunities for constructive policy interventions, summarizing what we know about their likely effectiveness, and recommending next steps for the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Department of Education. The four principles addressed in this report are: (1) Low-income children benefit from the resources and learning environment available at schools that also serve middle- and higher-income families; (2) Even in settings where most students are poor, schools can succeed with the right resources and accountability; (3) Kids perform better in school if they don't change schools frequently, and schools perform better when they have lower turnover; and (4) Kids do better in school when they are healthy, well-nourished, and arrive at school ready to learn. (Contains 14 notes.)