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THRIVE FROM THE START

Every infant and toddler deserves a safe, stable, and nurturing start in life. That’s why Housing Is has joined forces with  Prevent Child Abuse America, SchoolHouse Connection, and ZERO TO THREE to launch Thrive From The Start—a cross-sector effort dedicated to addressing homelessness among infants, toddlers, and expectant parents. Visit thrivefromthestart.org to learn more and explore how you can be a part of the solution. 

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Housing Is Working Group 2024-2025 Calendar

Join the Housing Is Working Group to discuss special topics related to cross-sector initiatives and programmatic considerations particularly focused on the intersections of housing, health, and education.

This year’s public webinars cover topics such as child welfare and housing, leveraging Medicaid resources for housing services, out-of-school time, and digital connectivity in a post-ACP world. 

View Calendar
 
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Community:
Oct 3, 2018
More than a third of homeless people are part of a family, most of which are headed by women with at least one child. Homeless families are different from single homeless people, and their needs differ. But limited research focuses on these families. This study aims to fill the gap by exploring longitudinal health service use and expenditures for homeless family members before and after entering an emergency shelter.

Authored by: Robin Clark, Linda Weinreb, Julie Flahive, and Robert Seifert for the American Journal of Public Health
Topics: Family engagement, Health, Homelessness, Housing, Low-income, Preventative care, Research, Stability
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Nov 21, 2018

Early Detection and Intervention Could Improve Health Outcomes for Homeless Families

Report
Oct 3, 2018
Robin Clark, Linda Weinreb, Julie Flahive, and Robert Seifert for the American Journal of Public Health
More than a third of homeless people are part of a family, most of which are headed by women with at least one child. Homeless families are different from single homeless people, and their needs differ. But limited research focuses on these families.
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Community:
May 1, 2018
The Enhanced Transitional Jobs Demonstration (ETJD), funded by the Employment and Training Administration of the U.S. Department of Labor, tested seven transitional jobs programs that targeted people recently released from prison or low-income parents who had fallen behind in child support payments.

Authored by: MDRC, OPRE, and Employment and Training Demonstration
Topics: Asset building, Cost effectiveness, Criminal justice, Legislation & Policy, Low-income, Research, Stability, Workforce development, Youth
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Nov 19, 2018
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Community:
Oct 1, 2018
Studies have consistently documented high rates of obesity and tobacco use among individuals with serious mental illness. In recent years, Medicaid programs have enrolled individuals with serious mental illness into managed care plans, which are responsible for ensuring that their members receive preventive care. Despite the movement to managed care, not much is known about whether this population receives routine screening and follow-up care for common comorbid health conditions and health behaviors.

Authored by: Jonathan Brown, Junquing Liu, and Sarah Hudson Scholle for Mathematica
Topics: Disabilities, Health, Low-income, Medicaid / Medicare, Mental health, Preventative care, Research
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Nov 16, 2018
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Community:
Oct 18, 2018
A program called Find the Fit, which combines personalized planning materials and text messaging for students, and training webinars for advisors, increased the number and selectivity of colleges to which students apply. This report, the first from a six-year study, determined that Find the Fit led to some changes in the advising within Upward Bound and in students’ actions related to enrolling in a more selective college.

Authored by: Alina Martinez, Tamara Linkow, Hannah Miller, and Amanda Parsad for Mathematica
Topics: Education, Low-income, Post-secondary, Research, Youth
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Nov 16, 2018

Study of Enhanced College Advising in Upward Bound: Impacts on Steps Toward College

Report
Oct 18, 2018
Alina Martinez, Tamara Linkow, Hannah Miller, and Amanda Parsad for Mathematica
A program called Find the Fit, which combines personalized planning materials and text messaging for students, and training webinars for advisors, increased the number and selectivity of colleges to which students apply.
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Webinar
Community:
Jul 13, 2017
For providers in the Supportive Housing arena, it is no secret that the road to recovery begins with housing. However, this fact has not always been recognized by major healthcare entities, like Medicaid. Thankfully, this mindset is changing and Supportive Housing organizations now have the ability to cover many of their services via Medicaid. Since the rules and requirements vary tremendously state-to-state, many providers feel overwhelmed with the documentation required to bill Medicaid. During this session, Foothold Technology and experts from various states across the country, including Steve Coe, CEO of Community Access, Kevin Martone, Executive Director of the Technical Assistance Collaborative, and Lindsay Casale, Housing First Program Director, Pathways Vermont, discuss the ins and outs of Medicaid for Supportive Housing. You will walk away with knowledge on: best practices from agencies already receiving Medicaid dollars; what reporting requirements providers should be aware of and on the lookout for, and how these can vary state-to-state; and tips on documentation methods and why a solid electronic record is crucial for Medicaid reimbursement. For more supportive housing resources, join our online community at: http://shrc.footholdtechnology.com/

Authored by: Foothold Technology
Topics: Affordable Care Act, Dual-eligibles, Health, Low-income, Medicaid / Medicare, Supportive housing
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Nov 14, 2018
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Community:
Nov 14, 2018
In the first session of this series, Foothold Technology Director of Client Services, Paul Rossi and Senior Advisor, David Bucciferro, along with Sue Augustus from CSH, bring us back to basics of all things Medicaid. They cover topics ranging in commonly used terms, coverage and eligibility and the differences between Medicaid and Medicare. This webinar series is designed for beginners and experts alike. Beginners will walk away with a strong foundation and experts will have the opportunity to contribute to the conversation.

Authored by: Foothold Technology and CSH
Topics: Affordable Care Act, Disabilities, Health, Low-income, Medicaid / Medicare
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Nov 14, 2018
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Community:
Oct 27, 2018
National estimates are that roughly 80% of homeless mothers with children have previously experienced domestic violence. Even with its strict and limited definition of homelessness, applying this estimate to HUD’s most recent data reveals that over 230,000 children living in shelter have been exposed to the traumatic and long-term effects of domestic violence at some point. At a time when the nation is experiencing a national crisis of child homelessness, we can no longer afford to ignore this critical connection.

Authored by: Institute for Children, Poverty, and Homelessness
Topics: Child welfare, Domestic violence, East Coast, Homelessness, Housing, Low-income, Safety
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Oct 29, 2018
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Community:
Oct 24, 2018
CLPHA’s Housing Is Initiative is engaged in a number of cross-sector activities focused on developing partnerships, facilitating a community of practice, resource development, promoting best practices, online collaboration, policy and advocacy, and training and education. Read about recent activities in this Fall Update.

Authored by:
Topics: Child welfare, CLPHA, Community development, Cost effectiveness, Data sharing, Early childhood, Education, Family engagement, Funding, Health, Homelessness, Housing, Low-income, Medicaid / Medicare, Mental health, Partnerships, Place-based, Post-secondary, Research, Stability, Substance abuse, Workforce development, Youth
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Oct 24, 2018

Housing Is Fall 2018 Update

Report
Oct 24, 2018
CLPHA’s Housing Is Initiative is engaged in a number of cross-sector activities focused on developing partnerships, facilitating a community of practice, resource development, promoting best practices, online collaboration, policy and advocacy, and training and education.
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Community:
Assisted housing mobility is both a housing policy and a civil rights practice, giving low income families participating in our largest federal housing program – the Housing Choice Voucher program – a real choice to move to neighborhoods and communities of their choice, including high opportunity communities from which they have been traditionally excluded.

Authored by: Housing Choice Partners, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Inclusive Communities Project, PRRAC
Topics: Education, Housing, Low-income, Mobility
Shared by Housing Is on Oct 12, 2018

Housing Mobility Programs in the U.S. (2018)

Report
Housing Choice Partners, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Inclusive Communities Project, PRRAC
Assisted housing mobility is both a housing policy and a civil rights practice, giving low income families participating in our largest federal housing program – the Housing Choice Voucher program – a real choice to move to neighborhoods and communities of their choice, including high opportunity co
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Webinar
Community:
Aug 29, 2018
Half of public housing authorities (PHAs) are engaged in at least one health initiative, almost all in partnership with the health sector, according to a new report by the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities (CLPHA) and the Public and Affordable Housing Research Corporation (PAHRC).Health Starts at Home: A National Snapshot of Public Housing Authorities' Health Partnerships finds that PHAs are key players in addressing the intersection of housing and health and that deepening partnerships between PHAs and health providers can better serve residents' and communities’ health needs. Stephen Lucas (CLPHA), Keely Stater (PAHRC), and Kelly McElwain (PAHRC) discuss health initiatives taking place at PHAs across the country and strategies for better serving communities with cross-sector partnerships.

Authored by: CLPHA
Topics: CLPHA, Dual-eligibles, Health, Housing, Low-income, Medicaid / Medicare, Mental health, Nutrition, Partnerships, Place-based, Preventative care, Research, Seniors
Shared by Housing Is on Oct 11, 2018
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Community:
Jul 26, 2018
Neighborhoods where insecure housing overlaps with higher rates of emergency department use may be promising areas for interventions under Medicaid value-based payment

Authored by: United Hospital Fund
Topics: East Coast, Health, Housing, Low-income, Medicaid / Medicare, Partnerships, Stability
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Oct 10, 2018

New Report Identifies NYC Neighborhoods Where Medicaid Might Better Support Members’ Health by Addressing Housing Insecurity

Report
Jul 26, 2018
United Hospital Fund
Neighborhoods where insecure housing overlaps with higher rates of emergency department use may be promising areas for interventions under Medicaid value-based payment
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Webinar
Community:
Oct 8, 2018
During this All In webinar, Caroline Fichtenberg of SIREN reviewed the current landscape of assessment tools and outcomes measures for social needs. Karis Grounds of 2-1-1 San Diego explained how they incorporated social needs assessment into their Risk Rating Scale, which helps them better serve clients while showing the impact of their services.

Authored by: All In: Data for Community Health
Topics: Data sharing, Health, Low-income, Metrics, Partnerships, West Coast
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Oct 10, 2018
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Community:
Sep 26, 2018
The Colorado Coalition for the Homeless (CCH) has been investing in supportive housing since 1990. Since that time, this comprehensive community health center has developed nearly 1,700 units of housing, and is one of the country’s leaders in integrating health care and housing for a vulnerable population. This webinar discusses how CCH finances its capital development; how they plan, design, and manage multiple projects simultaneously; how they integrate housing and health care services; and how they include property management staff in a coordinated approach to care. This conversation with members of CCH’s leadership complements our recent policy brief and included time for audience Q&A.

Authored by: National Health Care for the Homeless Council
Topics: Health, Homelessness, Low-income, Medicaid / Medicare, Mental health, Pacific Northwest, Place-based, Supportive housing
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Oct 9, 2018
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Community:
Aug 13, 2018
Maternal depression is a widespread public health concern that has been linked to negative impacts on child development and health outcomes. Within home visiting programs serving low-income women, maternal depression rates have been measured as high as 61 percent. Home visitors are uniquely positioned to help address maternal depression and can play an important role in conducting screenings and providing referrals to community resources. This brief summarizes the existing research to illustrate the importance of addressing maternal depression in home visiting programs, and outlines three promising approaches.

Authored by: Rebecca Peters and Devon Genua for Urban Institute
Topics: Early childhood, Health, Homelessness, Low-income, Mental health
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Sep 18, 2018

Addressing Maternal Depression in the Context of Home Visiting: Opportunities and Challenges

Report
Aug 13, 2018
Rebecca Peters and Devon Genua for Urban Institute
Maternal depression is a widespread public health concern that has been linked to negative impacts on child development and health outcomes. Within home visiting programs serving low-income women, maternal depression rates have been measured as high as 61 percent.
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Community:
May 1, 2018
Our initial report—which followed participants around the country over three years—found, among other things, that Year Up increased participants’ average quarterly earnings by more than 50 percent. These are the largest gains in earnings measured to date in random assignment studies of workforce training programs for youth and adults.

Authored by: David Fein and Jill Hamadyk for Abt Associates
Topics: Asset building, Education, Low-income, Mobility, Post-secondary, Research, Workforce development, Youth
Shared by Housing Is on Aug 16, 2018

Bridging the Opportunity Divide for Low-Income Youth: Implementation and Early Impacts of the Year Up Program

Report
May 1, 2018
David Fein and Jill Hamadyk for Abt Associates
Our initial report—which followed participants around the country over three years—found, among other things, that Year Up increased participants’ average quarterly earnings by more than 50 percent.
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Community:
Aug 9, 2018
UnitedHealthcare provides health insurance benefits to more than 40 million people across the country. In the past decade, it has addressed housing as a social determinant of health at the national level through policy leadership and financial investments, and at the state level working with local communities to connect Medicaid participants to stable housing. Through this work, UnitedHealthcare has overcome a myriad of challenges associated with siloed health and housing fields at all levels of policy and implementation. This case study explores how this national health payer has integrated the housing needs of underserved populations into its strategic priorities for investment and programming.

Authored by:
Topics: Affordable Care Act, Data sharing, Funding, Health, Homelessness, Housing, Low-income, Medicaid / Medicare, Partnerships
Shared by Housing Is on Aug 9, 2018
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Community:
Aug 9, 2018
Beginning in 2014, with the support of the Kresge Foundation, SAHF engaged its members in efforts to build collaborative relationships with partners from the healthcare sector, in order to implement joint initiatives to demonstrate the contributions of service-enriched housing to the healthcare system. Although many of our members have established work with healthcare stakeholders, few have direct partnerships with insurers. Subsequently, this endeavor focused on collaboration with Medicaid payers. In partnership with Health Management Associates (HMA), target markets and potential Medicaid health plan partners were identified and paired with SAHF members to facilitate conversation and identify points of synergy.

Authored by:
Topics: Health, Housing, Low-income, Partnerships
Shared by Housing Is on Aug 9, 2018

The Path to Partnership: Lessons Learned in the Pursuit of Joint Initiatives between Affordable Housing Providers and Medicaid Managed Care Programs

Report
Aug 9, 2018
Beginning in 2014, with the support of the Kresge Foundation, SAHF engaged its members in efforts to build collaborative relationships with partners from the healthcare sector, in order to implement joint initiatives to demonstrate the contributions of service-enriched housing to the healthcare syst
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Community:
Jul 24, 2018
The Affordable Housing Task Force began with an assumption that there was a compelling need to address the changing landscape of housing affordability in Pittsburgh. Through research, discussion, and community and stakeholder engagement, the Task Force has arrived at recommendations that respond to both the assumption and the realities of affordable housing in the city.

Authored by:
Topics: Community development, Funding, Housing, Low-income, Partnerships, Seniors
Shared by Housing Is on Jul 24, 2018
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Community:
Jul 23, 2018
The aim of the study was to understand how policy capacity was defined and managed by state health leaders in different political environments during the implementation of the ACA. We conducted a total of 24 interviews, 18 with state executive agency officials and six with legislators from 10 states. The the final sample includes two states from the Northeast, three from the South, three from the Midwest, and two from the West.

Authored by:
Topics: Affordable Care Act, Funding, Health, Legislation & Policy, Low-income, Medicaid / Medicare, Partnerships
Shared by Housing Is on Jul 23, 2018
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Community:
Jul 23, 2018
The aim of the study was to understand how policy capacity was defined and managed by state health leaders in different political environments during the implementation of the ACA. Working with a sample of states—large and small, red and blue, actively reformist or more circumspect, etc.—the research team interviewed 18 state executive agency officials and six legislators from 10 states about their experiences developing and sustaining the capacity needed for major transformations in health care

Authored by:
Topics: Affordable Care Act, Funding, Health, Legislation & Policy, Low-income, Medicaid / Medicare, Partnerships, Research
Shared by Housing Is on Jul 23, 2018
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Community:
Jul 23, 2018
States are implementing accountable care organizations (ACOs) to  improve health care quality and better manage costs for Medicaid  populations. Core components that define Medicaid ACOs are: the  payment model; quality measurement approach; and the data  strategy. This brief provides an overview of these core ACO elements and profiles how nine states -Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Minnesota, New Jersey, Oregon, Utah, and Vermont -have structured their Medicaid ACOs. For each state, it outlines key ACO characteristics; details unique payment, quality, and data  approaches; and spotlights one of the state’s Medicaid ACOs. This  set of profiles can help inform Medicaid ACO development in other  states.

Authored by:
Topics: Cost effectiveness, Data sharing, Health, Low-income, Medicaid / Medicare, Metrics
Shared by Housing Is on Jul 23, 2018

Medicaid Accountable Care Organization Programs: State Profiles

Report
Jul 23, 2018
States are implementing accountable care organizations (ACOs) to  improve health care quality and better manage costs for Medicaid  populations. Core components that define Medicaid ACOs are: the  payment model; quality measurement approach; and the data  strategy. This brief provides an overview of
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Community:
Jul 20, 2018
This issue brief outlines ways in which Medicaid can support integrated strategies and, based on telephone interviews with key informants, profiles three current initiatives that illustrate distinctly different approaches to linking Medicaid and supportive housing. The three initiatives include one launched by a city (Philadelphia), one by a state (Louisiana), and one by a Medicaid MCO (Mercy Maricopa Integrated Care in Phoenix, Arizona). They target special populations including homeless individuals, people with a wide range of disabilities, and adults with mental health and/or substance use problems.

Authored by:
Topics: Cost effectiveness, Health, Homelessness, Housing, Low-income, Medicaid / Medicare, Supportive housing
Shared by Housing Is on Jul 20, 2018
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Community:
Jul 19, 2018
In December 2016, federal and state policymakers examined health and housing issues at a meeting convened in Washington, D.C., by the National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP) with support from The Commonwealth Fund. The goal of the meeting was to identify concrete policy recommendations and actionable steps to align health and housing programs to ensure that people with high service needs receive the housing and supportive services they need to become and stay healthy. This report summarizes their findings and recommendations

Authored by:
Topics: Data sharing, Disabilities, Health, Homelessness, Legislation & Policy, Low-income, Medicaid / Medicare, Partnerships, Supportive housing
Shared by Housing Is on Jul 19, 2018
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Community:
Jul 13, 2018
This document highlights actions states and other entities have taken to improve service delivery and financing of the services delivered by supportive housing providers.

Authored by:
Topics: Health, Housing, Low-income, Medicaid / Medicare, Partnerships
Shared by Housing Is on Jul 13, 2018
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Community:
Jul 12, 2018
The structure of the evaluation is designed around several research domains that, together, provide a comprehensive assessment of the Community-based Care Transitions Program. The research concentrates on the following areas: • Program Implementation/Operational Issues. • Beneficiary Participation. • Provider Participation. • Utilization and Readmissions. • Costs/Savings. • Quality Monitoring and Quality Improvement. • Unintended Consequences.

Authored by:
Topics: Cost effectiveness, Data sharing, Health, Low-income, Medicaid / Medicare, Partnerships, Seniors
Shared by Housing Is on Jul 12, 2018