An analysis from Denver shows that unhoused people receiving services based on a Housing First approach were more likely to access psychiatric care and had fewer emergency medical visits.
An analysis of supportive housing programs in Denver, Colorado reveals that a Housing First approach, which prioritizes placing unhoused people into housing before imposing other requirements, led to higher rates of doctor visits for mental health diagnoses and prescriptions and lower numbers of emergency room visits among participants.
An article by researchers Devlin Hanson and Sarah Gillespie in Health Affairs outlines part of their results. “Two years after assignment to the Housing First intervention, participants had an average of eight more office-based visits for psychiatric diagnoses, three more prescription medications, and six fewer emergency department visits than the control group.” The two groups had no statistically significant difference in mortality rates.
The authors see these results as an indicator that housing programs can also impact health care provision. “As policy makers seek increased funding to scale up effective ways to address the needs of populations experiencing chronic homelessness, our results provide evidence that supportive housing with a Housing First approach not only can provide a housing solution but also can facilitate engagement in needed health care services.”
FULL STORY: ‘Housing First’ Increased Psychiatric Care Office Visits And Prescriptions While Reducing Emergency Visits
A Decade of Progress on Homelessness in Milwaukee County
Unlike most U.S. communities, Milwaukee County has managed to make significant progress toward assisting unhoused residents through a Housing First approach.
New Book Highlights Human Side of Homelessness Crisis
A San Francisco reporter’s empathetic portrait of unhoused Bay Area residents reminds readers why supportive housing is worth fighting for.
Indianapolis Falls Short of 2018 Goal to End Long-Term Homelessness
The city’s progress in building supportive housing units has not kept up with the rising numbers of residents experiencing homelessness.
What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities
How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.
‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge
Basic resources and information on building bike lanes and sidewalks, formerly housed on the government’s Complete Streets website, are now gone.
HUD Cuts Could Derail Mortgage Underwriting Agency
Staffing cuts at the Federal Housing Administration could imperil affordable housing projects and mortgage programs for new homeowners.
Part of San Francisco Waterfront Highway to Become Pedestrian-Only in April
Two miles of the ‘Great Highway’ will be permanently closed to cars, in part due to erosion that makes the road unsafe for vehicles.
El Paso Wastewater Purification Facility Breaks Ground
As water supplies become strained and technology advances, cities look to wastewater as a viable source of drinking water.
Spirit Lake Nation Reclaims 680 Acres After Century-Long Effort
After decades of advocacy, the Spirit Lake Nation successfully reclaimed 680 acres of its original treaty land from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, marking a significant step toward healing and future development.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA)
Economic & Planning Systems, Inc.
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research