New Study Links Housing Stability, Reduced ER Use to NYC Supportive Housing Program
NYAPRS E News March 14, 2018
A newly available study published in Health Services Research found that living in publicly funded supportive housing in New York City led to increased housing stability and reduced use of emergency healthcare services.
The study, entitled “Impact of a New York City Supportive Housing Program on Housing Stability and Preventable Health Care among Homeless Families” was conducted by Sungwoo Lim Dr.P.H., Tejinder P. Singh Ph.D., Gerod Hall Ph.D., Sarah Walters M.P.H. and Hannah Gould Ph.D. was posted online March 12 as DOI: 10.1111/1475-6773.12849
The study found that the NY/NY III supportive housing program was associated with improved housing stability among heads of homeless families who had underlying mental and physical health conditions or substance use disorders.
“Nearly 90 percent of the program participants experienced housing stability in the 2 years after baseline, whereas only 1 percent of applicants not placed in the program achieved housing stability through government-subsidized housing.
Seventy-five percent of nonplaced applicants were in (or transitioned to) noninstitutional settings, while nearly one in four (24 percent) were consistently in unstable housing—primarily homeless shelter.
Placement in the housing program was also associated with reduced preventable ED visits when stratified by housing pattern. Compared with homeless
families who spent most of the postbaseline period in unstable government housing such as homeless family shelters, those placed in the NY/NY III program were less likely to make ED visits for chronic conditions that may have been avoided with proper primary care.”
Click image to see full study report.
