Trends in Housing Assistance and Who it Serves

Housing is considered a social determinant of health, with poor housing conditions being associated with poor health. Veterans with disabilities are more likely to experience a housing crisis because of combat experiences and employment instability.

A whole host of factors — such as friends, housing and transportation — affect a person’s health and how much they need the social safety net. It’s time the government’s big health insurance programs took this reality into account, some lawmakers and policymakers are starting to argue.

We sought to learn more about how state- and locally funded rental assistance programs were created, how they are structured, whom they serve, and how they are funded.

On June 24th, HUD released the 2010 Public Housing Capital Needs Study. In general, the study shows that since the last capital needs study in 1998, federal appropriations have been too low to make significant progress at reducing the backlog of capital needs.

On January 1, 2014, in states that have chosen to expand Medicaid eligibility under the Affordable Care Act, nearly all chronically homeless people who lacked health insurance became eligible for Medicaid.

Part of New York State’s Homelessness Action Plan includes an investment of new supportive housing resources and services over the next five years to address vulnerable populations experiencing homelessness.

Assisting public housing residents on the path towards self-sufficiency requires going beyond providing decent, safe, and affordable housing. Public housing residents may face barriers to employment, such as limited education, job skills and/or proficiency in the English language.