Renowned Medical Journal Endorses New York Supportive Housing
Dec.19.2013
The New England Journal of Medicine has just published a think piece on New York’s efforts to reform Medicaid through supportive housing.
Citing numerous studies, the piece argues that investments in social service programs, including supportive housing, can decrease the amount a society spends on healthcare. The article offers the latest example of an emerging consensus: that supportive housing is healthcare. It was written by three esteemed figures in the field: NYS Department of Health Commissioner Dr. Nirav Shah, NYS Office of Health Insurance Programs Deputy Director Elizabeth Misa and Dr. Kelly Doran of New York University. You can read their perspective here.
The authors stress that supportive housing achieves multiple goals for New York State. Our model helps reduce healthcare costs, improves the quality of care for individuals on Medicaid and improves the overall health of these individuals. On the cost-savings front, the authors lay out a clear argument on the benefits of supportive housing:
"New York Medicaid payments for nursing-facility stays are $217 per day, as compared with costs of $50 to $70 per day for supportive housing. Furthermore, preventing even a few inpatient hospitalizations, at $2,219 per day, could pay for many days of supportive housing […] Studies have shown that the costs of supportive housing are largely offset by resultant savings in services used, mostly from reduced use of the health care system. Some studies of high-risk patients have found that savings exceeded the costs of providing housing, thus yielding a net positive return on investment."
We strongly urge you to read and share this emphatic endorsement of supportive housing!
New Report Released on Youth Count
Aug.06.2013
The Urban Institute has released its findings on Youth Count, an effort held earlier this year to count the number of homeless youth in nine cities across the country. The federal government selected New York as one of the nine pilot cities to participate in the count, which was designed as a demonstration project to better understand how best to count homeless youth.
The Institute's report and findings will help shape future youth counts in the city. This invaluable evaluation will help advocates learn from cities across the country about their experiences with this year's youth count. You can read the report here. The Urban Institute also released a video on this year's effort, which features homeless youth from around the country as they discuss the importance of the count effort. See the video below:
Continue Reading …
‘State of Homelessness’ Report Released
Apr.10.2013
The National Alliance to End Homelessness (NAEH) released its annual State of Homelessness in America report last month. The document, available here, provides housing and homelessness data for each state and analyzes trends nationwide.
NAEH's report offers both good and bad news. On the positive side, the data shows a significant decrease in veteran and chronic homelessness. The report finds that veteran homelessness dropped 7.2% from 2011 to 2012 while chronic homelessness dropped 6.8% in the same time span. NAEH unequivocally ties these findings to supportive housing, arguing that "the ongoing and increased development of permanent supportive housing, a proven solution to ending homelessness for people with disabilities, is bringing down chronic and veteran homelessness numbers in communities across the country."
Overall, the report finds .4% decrease in homelessness nationwide.
Continue Reading …