Showing Posts by Date: 01/2014
01.06.2014
Governor Andrew Cuomo released his 2013 year-end report last month. The 54-page document offers an overview of the various initiatives supported by his administration, including supportive housing. As the Network awaits the Governor’s 2014 State of the State address this Wednesday, we are encouraged by these words and the Governor’s continued endorsement of the supportive housing model as part of his efforts to reform Medicaid. You can read New York Rising in full here.
“There is a growing national recognition that addressing the social determinants of health is critical for both improving health status and reducing costs," the report states. "This is most evident in the matter of housing. Governor Cuomo announced the allocation of $86 million to support nearly 5,500 individuals through the Medicaid Redesign Team Supportive Housing Program. The funds are managed by multiple State agencies working cooperatively, and support both capital projects and rental and service subsidies. To date, funds have been committed to construct 12 new buildings, which will create 483 new supportive housing units. Funding has also provided over 4,300 individuals with rental subsidies and service supports. Although the link between stable housing and Medicaid cost control is well known, this is the first time that projected Medicaid savings have been directed to the development of supportive housing.”
01.02.2014
On New Year’s Eve, New York City released the first major report on the cost-savings impacts of supportive housing created under the New York/New York III Supportive Housing Agreement. Reviewing data from the first years of the agreement, the report found that homeless or institutionalized people placed into NY/NY III supportive housing saved taxpayers a net average of $10,100 per person per year. The entire report is available here.
The report’s analysis confirms similar findings by more than 30 studies nationwide that showed how supportive housing can significantly reduce the costly public expenses associated with homelessness. You can read the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH)'s press release for the repot here.
The New York/New York III Supportive Housing Evaluation was conducted by DOHMH in collaboration with the NYC Human Resources Administration (HRA) and the NYS Office of Mental Health (OMH). The evaluation is particularly significant because it compared those found eligible for and placed into NY/NY III housing with a control group made up of those who were also found eligible but did not receive a supportive housing placement. The study looked at two years of costs prior to placement/non-placement and one year post for everyone who was placed or not placed into NY/NY housing between 2007 and 2009.
The study measured public costs associated with participants’ use of shelter, jail, cash assistance, food stamps, state psychiatric care and Medicaid. The report found that, after subtracting the NY/NY III housing and service costs, each NY/NY III tenant housed saves the public an average of $10,100 a year.
The savings occurred across many public systems and varied widely by tenant population, with supportive housing for tenants coming from State-operated psychiatric facilities saving on average an impressive $77,425 per tenant per year. The NY/NY III housing achieved either a complete cost offset or significant savings for all but two of the tenant populations.