Welcome to Housing Is, a hub for generating effective programs and sharing innovative ideas.

Sign Up or Sign In
 

Housing Is Working Group 2023-2024 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 the mobility asthma project, trauma-informed approaches to housing, resident-focused racial equity work, out-of-school time, and how FCC grantees are supprting voucher holders.

View Calendar
 

Elements of a Successful Partnership

With generous support from the MacArthur Foundation, CLPHA developed an in-depth report on regional housing-education collaborations taking place at housing authorities across the Pacific-Northwest.

Read the Multimedia Report
 
0
0
0
0
Policy Brief
Community:
Oct 1, 2016
Emerging health care financing models require much more sophisticated actuarial calculations than previous payment arrangements, often taking into account risk factors such as homelessness. Homelessness also has direct implications for clinical treatment decisions and integrated care models and should be noted in individual patient records. This policy brief provides a rationale for using the ICD-10-CM code for homelessness, outlines the challenges to maximizing this code, and offers strategies to consider to ensure health care providers ask about homelessness and record patients’ housing status. This data is highly relevant to clinicians and administrators at health centers, hospitals, state Medicaid systems, Medicaid managed care organizations, and public health departments.

Authored by: National Health Care for the Homeless Council
Topics: Health, Homelessness, Housing, Legislation & Policy, Low-income, Medicaid / Medicare
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Mar 26, 2019
0
0
0
0
Research
Community:
Nov 22, 2018
Improved access to health insurance contributed to reducing worry and stress associated with paying rent/mortgage or purchasing meals among low-income people. Expanding health insurance access may have contributed to increasing the disposable income of low income groups.

Authored by: Shiho Kino, Koryu Sato, and Iciro Kawachi for International Journal for Equity in Health
Topics: Affordable Care Act, Health, Housing, Low-income, Medicaid / Medicare, Mental health, Research, Stability
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Mar 7, 2019

Spillover benefit of improved access to healthcare on reducing worry about housing and meal affordability

Research
Nov 22, 2018
Shiho Kino, Koryu Sato, and Iciro Kawachi for International Journal for Equity in Health
Improved access to health insurance contributed to reducing worry and stress associated with paying rent/mortgage or purchasing meals among low-income people. Expanding health insurance access may have contributed to increasing the disposable income of low income groups.
0
0
0
0
Report
Community:
Feb 19, 2019
Integrating health care data with data from other sectors helps address the holistic needs of individual patients while informing the development of population-level programs and policies that can improve outcomes, both in health care and other sectors. This paper provides guidance for those in non-health care sectors (e.g. housing, social services, community-based organizations) on effectively engaging and advancing conversations with health care stakeholders about collaborating to share data, focusing on the specific stakeholder of hospitals/health systems.

Authored by: Data Across Sectors for Health (DASH)
Topics: Health, Housing, Low-income, Medicaid / Medicare, Partnerships
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Feb 20, 2019
0
0
0
0
Publication
Community:
Jan 18, 2019
The State of Arizona’s Medicaid agency (AHCCCS) recognizes the vital importance of safe, decent and affordable housing to health. With a portfolio of over 3,000 units of affordable housing for Medicaid members with a determination of serious mental illness (SMI) and/or substance use disorder, housing is a major component of how the State of Arizona assists those trying to recover and stabilize.

Authored by: Josh Crites for The Journal of Housing & Community Development
Topics: Health, Housing, Low-income, Medicaid / Medicare, Partnerships, Place-based
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Feb 7, 2019
0
0
0
0
News Article
Community:
Jan 25, 2019
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.

Authored by: Paige Winfield Cunningham for The Washington Post
Topics: Asset building, Cost effectiveness, Disabilities, Education, Food insecurity, Funding, Health, Homelessness, Housing, Legislation & Policy, Low-income, Medicaid / Medicare, Seniors, Transportation, Workforce development
Shared by Housing Is on Jan 25, 2019

The Health 202: Policymakers are realizing health is about a lot more than just care

News Article
Jan 25, 2019
Paige Winfield Cunningham for The Washington Post
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.
0
0
0
0
News Article
Community:
Jan 18, 2019
The State of Arizona’s Medicaid agency (AHCCCS) recognizes the vital importance of safe, decent and affordable housing to health. With a portfolio of over 3,000 units of affordable housing for Medicaid members with a determination of serious mental illness (SMI) and/or substance use disorder, housing is a major component of how the State of Arizona assists those trying to recover and stabilize.

Authored by: Josh Crites for The Journal of Housing & Community Development
Topics: Cost effectiveness, Health, Housing, Low-income, Medicaid / Medicare, Mental health, Partnerships, Substance abuse
Shared by Housing Is on Jan 22, 2019
0
0
0
0
News Article
Community:
Dec 27, 2018
The nation’s public housing authorities are seeking closer links to health insurers and medical care providers to address social determinants of health.

Authored by: Bruce Japsen for Forbes
Topics: CLPHA, Funding, Health, Housing, Low-income, Medicaid / Medicare, Partnerships, Place-based, Research
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Jan 7, 2019
0
0
0
0
Case study
Community:
Dec 6, 2018
The Denver Housing Authority (DHA) wins a 2017 Award of Excellence in Client and Resident Services for creating the Health Navigators (HN) program, which provides mental health education, resources, and doctor referrals.

Authored by: Ashanti Wright for Journal of Housing & Community Development
Topics: Disabilities, Health, Housing, Low-income, Medicaid / Medicare, Mental health, Partnerships, Place-based, Seniors
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Dec 21, 2018

Tackling Mental Health

Case study
Dec 6, 2018
Ashanti Wright for Journal of Housing & Community Development
The Denver Housing Authority (DHA) wins a 2017 Award of Excellence in Client and Resident Services for creating the Health Navigators (HN) program, which provides mental health education, resources, and doctor referrals.
0
0
0
0
Report
Community:
May 1, 2018
Housing and health systems need to work together. Public housing authorities (PHAs) are significant providers of housing to those in need, offering the health sector scale and expertise. Little was known about how PHAs worked with the health sector writ large. With a national survey, we found that PHAs across the country are engaged in a wide range of partnerships with different health organizations that address various target populations and health priorities. Barriers to housing-health collaboration, such as funding and staffing capacity, can be overcome with cross-system partnerships that seek to address these needs.

Authored by: CLPHA and PAHRC
Topics: Child welfare, Funding, Health, Housing, Low-income, Medicaid / Medicare, Partnerships, Preventative care, Research, Seniors, Smoke-free
Shared by Housing Is on Dec 19, 2018

Health Starts at Home: A National Snapshot of Public Housing Authorities' Health Partnerships

Report
May 1, 2018
CLPHA and PAHRC
Housing and health systems need to work together. Public housing authorities (PHAs) are significant providers of housing to those in need, offering the health sector scale and expertise. Little was known about how PHAs worked with the health sector writ large.
0
0
0
0
News Article
Community:
Dec 10, 2018
As state and federal officials increasingly search for ways to curb rising health care costs, a decades-old idea is gaining traction: helping people with challenges that have nothing to do with medical care but everything to do with their health.

Authored by: Misty Williams for Roll Call
Topics: Cost effectiveness, Food insecurity, Health, Homelessness, Housing, Low-income, Medicaid / Medicare, Nutrition, Partnerships, Preventative care, Stability, Transportation
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Dec 10, 2018
0
0
0
0
Report
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
0
0
0
0
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
0
0
0
0
Report
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
0
0
0
0
Research
Community:
Oct 3, 2018
Using administrative data from Massachusetts, this study analyzes the health care use and Medicaid expenditures of families who experienced one or more homeless episodes between 2008 and 2015 to investigate how health care use is related to emergency housing experiences.

Authored by: Urban Institute
Topics: Asthma, Child welfare, Depression, Health, Homelessness, Housing, Low-income, Medicaid / Medicare, Metrics, Pre-natal, Research
Shared by Mica O'Brien on Oct 4, 2018

Early Detection and Intervention Could Improve Health Outcomes for Homeless Families

Research
Oct 3, 2018
Urban Institute
Using administrative data from Massachusetts, this study analyzes the health care use and Medicaid expenditures of families who experienced one or more homeless episodes between 2008 and 2015 to investigate how health care use is related to emergency housing experiences.
0
1
1
0
News Article
Community:
Aug 19, 2018
A body of evidence points to a link between living in areas of concentrated poverty and health.

Authored by: Paul Chisholm for NPR
Topics: Child welfare, Community development, Health, Housing, Low-income, Medicaid / Medicare, Metrics, Partnerships, Racial inequalities, Safety
Shared by Housing Is on Aug 20, 2018
0
0
0
0
Report
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
0
0
0
0
Publication
Community:
Aug 9, 2018
Introduction to supportive housing and notes from the field

Authored by:
Topics: Health, Housing, Low-income, Medicaid / Medicare, Mental health, Partnerships, Supportive housing
Shared by Housing Is on Aug 9, 2018
0
0
0
0
Policy Brief
Community:
Aug 9, 2018
In a post health care reform era, Medicaid programs need to build system capacity to effectively manage increasingly complex Medicaid populations while simultaneously seeking innovative solutions to reduce costs and improve access. As states are increasingly becoming more reliant upon managed care for complex populations – such as individuals in need of long-term services and supports, those with intellectual or developmental disabilities, individuals with severe and persistent mental illness, as well as children with special health care needs – the needs of these populations range far beyond traditional health care.

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

Why Does a Health Care Company Care about Housing? Understanding the Intersection of Housing and Healthcare

Policy Brief
Aug 9, 2018
In a post health care reform era, Medicaid programs need to build system capacity to effectively manage increasingly complex Medicaid populations while simultaneously seeking innovative solutions to reduce costs and improve access.
0
0
0
0
Policy Brief
Community:
Aug 9, 2018
Everyone needs safe, decent, stable housing. For some of the most vulnerable people in America — people with mental illness, chronic health conditions, histories of trauma, and other struggles — a home helps them to get adequate treatment and start on the path toward recovery. But some conditions make it difficult for people to maintain a stable home without additional help. Supportive housing, a highly effective strategy that combines affordable housing with intensive coordinated services, can provide that needed assistance.

Authored by:
Topics: Cost effectiveness, Disabilities, Health, Homelessness, Housing, Low-income, Medicaid / Medicare, Mental health, Place-based, Seniors, Supportive housing
Shared by Housing Is on Aug 9, 2018

Supportive Housing Helps Vulnerable People Live and Thrive in the Community

Policy Brief
Aug 9, 2018
Everyone needs safe, decent, stable housing. For some of the most vulnerable people in America — people with mental illness, chronic health conditions, histories of trauma, and other struggles — a home helps them to get adequate treatment and start on the path toward recovery.
0
0
0
0
Policy Brief
Community:
Aug 9, 2018
Social determinants of health are the economic and social conditions that affect health outcomes and are the underlying, contributing factors of health inequities. Examples include housing, educational attainment, employment and the environment.

Authored by:
Topics: Affordable Care Act, Disabilities, Health, Homelessness, Housing, Low-income, Medicaid / Medicare, Mental health, Partnerships, Place-based, Substance abuse, Supportive housing
Shared by Housing Is on Aug 9, 2018
0
0
0
0
Research
Community:
Aug 1, 2018
Work requirements in public housing are highly controversial, and little is known about their impacts. We examined how implementation of a work requirement paired with supportive services by Charlotte Housing Authority has impacted residents’ overall well-being. Although the policy might improve well-being by increasing household income, it might also engender stress through greater housing precarity.

Authored by:
Topics: Depression, Disabilities, Education, Food insecurity, Health, Housing, Low-income, Medicaid / Medicare, Mental health, Metrics, MTW, Partnerships, Racial inequalities, Research, South, Workforce development
Shared by Housing Is on Aug 1, 2018
0
0
0
0
Research
Community:
Aug 1, 2018
The Support and Services at Home (SASH) program in Vermont aims to coordinate care and assist participants in accessing the health care and support services they need to maintain their health and age comfortably and safely in their homes. Most program participants are residents of U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)-assisted properties or Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) properties. Our objective is to estimate the impact of the first 5 1/2 years of the SASH program on the Medicare expenditures of these participants.

Authored by:
Topics: Cost effectiveness, Dual-eligibles, East Coast, Health, Home visiting, Housing, Legislation & Policy, Low-income, Medicaid / Medicare, Metrics, Seniors
Shared by Housing Is on Aug 1, 2018

The Impact of the Vermont Support and Services at Home Program on Healthcare Expenditures

Research
Aug 1, 2018
The Support and Services at Home (SASH) program in Vermont aims to coordinate care and assist participants in accessing the health care and support services they need to maintain their health and age comfortably and safely in their homes. Most program participants are residents of U.S.
0
0
0
0
Publication
Community:
Jul 27, 2018
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. This Primer offers state Medicaid officials and other interested parties strategies for using Medicaid to meet the needs of this very vulnerable population--some strategies that have succeeded in the past and some that are emerging under provisions of the Affordable Care Act.

Authored by:
Topics: Affordable Care Act, Criminal justice, Disabilities, Dual-eligibles, Funding, Health, Homelessness, Housing, Low-income, Medicaid / Medicare, Mental health, Partnerships, Stability, Substance abuse, Supportive housing
Shared by Housing Is on Jul 27, 2018

A Primer on Using Medicaid for People Experiencing Chronic Homelessness and Tenants in Permanent Supportive Housing

Publication
Jul 27, 2018
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.
0
0
0
0
Report
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

Linking Medicaid and Supportive Housing: Opportunities and On-the-Ground Examples

Report
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.
0
0
0
0
Policy Brief
Community:
Jul 20, 2018
This report examines several ways in which health care changes created by the ACA, and other health care reform initiatives, create the potential for affordable housing providers to collaborate with health care providers, insurers, and other institutions to support the wellbeing of low-income individuals and families.

Authored by:
Topics: Affordable Care Act, Health, Homelessness, Housing, Legislation & Policy, Low-income, Medicaid / Medicare, Partnerships
Shared by Housing Is on Jul 20, 2018

Affordable Housing's Place in Health Care: Opportunities Created by the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid Reform

Policy Brief
Jul 20, 2018
This report examines several ways in which health care changes created by the ACA, and other health care reform initiatives, create the potential for affordable housing providers to collaborate with health care providers, insurers, and other institutions to support the wellbeing of low-income indiv