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.

About 20 percent of adults in sheltered homeless families have a disability, compared with 9 percent of all US adults, yet few studies have addressed the intersection of disability and housing instability.

Through the hard work of communities around the country, we now have proof of something that we didn’t before—that ending homelessness is achievable.

Homelessness among children is correlated with developmental delays, fair or poor health, and high healthcare utilization. Associations of homelessness specifically among infants younger than 12 months, however, are unknown.

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.

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.

In December 2016, federal and state policymakers examined the intersection of unstable housing and negative health outcomes at a meeting convened in Washington, D.C., by the National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP) with support from The Commonwealth Fund.