Affordable Housing Research

The National Law Center on Homelesness and Poverty. “Homelessness stems from a lack of affordable housing. Increasing rents, destruction of traditional low-income housing, and cuts in federal housing programs threaten affordable housing with extinction.”

Housing first is a relatively recent change in the approach to ending homelessness that provides housing as quickly as possible for those who are experiencing homelessness. In this strategy, the importance is focused on the basic needs of immediate shelter for those who are homeless or have been deemed chronically homeless. With a variety of circumstances leading to homelessness, including substance abuse, mental illness, health related issues, and unexpected work related changes; determining a successful policy toward resettlement programs has produces scattered approaches with limited successful outcomes.

Kalichman, Seth C., Lisa Belcher, Charsey Cherry, Ernestine A. Williams, Christopher T. Allers. 1997. “Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Seropositive Homeless Men.” Journal of Social Distress and the Homeless. 6(4): 303-318.

The DC government has been implementing Rapid Re-Housing programs in response to the homelessness crisis that the nation’s capital has been facing for years. The Rapid Re-Housing models were implemented across the country through the Homeless Prevention and Rapid Rehousing Program (HPRP), as part of the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA) of 2009 (Anderson, 2015). Rapid Re-Housing is mainly an intervention, informed by a Housing First approach. Housing First is a critical part of the community’s effective homeless crisis response system (Anderson, 2015). The program attempts to connect families and individuals experiencing homelessness to permanent housing through personalized programs of assistance that may include the use of limited-time

The clinical issues affecting the homeless individual can range from mental illness to health issues. Several clinical issues affect the homeless population because of lack of health insurance and clinical resources. “The clinical issues affecting homeless people are dental, vision, foot diseases, post-traumatic arthritis, HIV, TB, STD’s respiratory infections, diabetes, hypertension, and nutritional problems are all major clinical issues” (Zevin, 2013). Quite a few people are homeless and suffer from various clinical issues because they have no insurance, housing, support from family/friends, or program resources. It seems when populations such homelessness is so huge some are left behind with no help. Various social service organizations exist that cater to the homeless population, but so many individuals and families are not helped because of mis-direction. Health care is an important factor to many, especially those who do not have access to a health care facility. Social services resources are available as well as the human service

It is often easy to castigate large cities or third world countries as failures in the field of affordable housing, yet the crisis, like an invisible cancer, manifests itself in many forms, plaguing both urban and suburban areas. Reformers have wrestled passionately with the issue for centuries, revealing the severity of the situation in an attempt for change, while politicians have only responded with band aid solutions. Unfortunately, the housing crisis easily fades from our memory, replaced by visions of homeless vets, or starving children. Metropolis magazine explains that “…though billions of dollars are spent each year on housing and development programs worldwide, ? At least 1 billion people

Living without adequate housing can increase a person’s morbidity and mortality which will increase the needs of a patient’s visit to the emergency room (Montgomery, Dichter, Thomasson, Roberts & Byrne, 2015). These patients can

One of the simplest pieces of knowledge we acquire in elementary school (for future growth and development) are the three basic needs a living organism requires for living: food, water, and shelter. However, not everyone has access to all of these essentials. Homeless people are faced with awful conditions and suffer more due to poor weather conditions, diseases, and lack of safety. There hasn’t been much progress on this issue, and if this continues, the number of homeless people will only increase. In a few states the topic is being named as a “statewide emergency”, but unfortunately this problem is national. Instead of focusing on state programs, local programs and non-profit organizations to fix the housing issue, we must all contribute to ending this epidemic. The National Alliance to End Homelessness (NAEH) released an article stating, “In January 2015, 564,708 people were homeless on a given night in the United States” (Snapshot of Homelessness). We must develop a solution to end long term homelessness immediately. The best way of solving this issue is to provide stable long-term housing, which is a term used to describe the home’s environment and financial status.

On June 26, 2015, the Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services released a bulletin clarifying that existing Medicaid policy allows reimbursement for housing related activities for persons with disabilities, older adults needing long term services and supports, and persons experiencing chronic homelessness.1 This announcement is in alignment with CMS’ commitment to help states expand home and community based living opportunities as encouraged by the Affordable Care Act and the Americans with Disability Act as well as the ruling in Olmstead v L.C. 1 The goal is to promote and provide community integration for these identified populations.1 Additionally, it is the

As well the Monroe County began Health Action initiative 1995 which was instituted to convene “a group of community partners to develop a plan to improve the health” of residents in Monroe County (County, NY Monroe. Similar to the goal of the African American Health coalition, Health Action was created to improve the health outcomes of individuals in Monroe County by “aligning community resources to focus on selected priorities for action” (County, NY Monroe). Aside from this health initiative, another form in which the government is addressing the issues of health disparities regarding living environment and health conditions, specifically through healthcare is the Accountable Health Communities under the Department of Health and Human Services. This model is based on the “emerging evidence that addressing health related social needs through enhanced clinical-community linkages” will lead to improved health outcomes and reduce overall costs (ECFR). There are many tracks through this funding that offer a varied intensity to “better link beneficiaries to community services” (ECFR). The regulation title 24, housing and urban development, under chapter VIII, office of the assistant secretary for housing federal housing commissioner, department of housing and urban development, which focuses on the section 8 housing

Housing is a primary setting where individuals are able to relax and enjoy their private space. However, it is the greatest unmet need among people living with HIV/AIDS. Most people living with HIV/AIDS in New York City are often sleeping in shelters, on the streets, on the trains or other places. Homelessness and HIV are not only affecting low-income individuals, the population affected are diversifying socio-demographically; and has also affect individuals across every division of class, gender, and race.

Jonas and Kovner discuss the housing assisting program and how the federal sector provides in terms of housing “services that offer long-term care for elderly and disabled people, such as nursing homes, and supportive at-home services that allow for aging in place, such as homes (p. 164). Preventive medicine is a way to decrease the emergency department visits of homeless people. Jonas and Kovner also discuss how the federal and state finance the care for vulnerable populations through programs such as Medicare and Medicaid, but the government needs the cooperation of the private sector and the civil society in order to reach the homeless population. For example, the U.S Department of Health and Human Services has developed a strategic action plan on homelessness. One of the goals is to help eligible, homeless individuals and families receive health and social service. The department of health is trying to “ promote organizational development and horizontal coordination between agencies such as housing, HIV/AIDS services/prevention, mental health and substance abuse treatment and prevention, and criminal justice to provide integrated comprehensive services to prevent homelessness”. The government not only needs to provide money but also create and put in practice action plans as the one described. The government, with the help of the private sector and the civil society, has to be able to reach the homeless population and educate this vulnerable population on the services available to them and why it is important to use the services that are available. If preventive medicine is available to the homeless population, but the homeless people do not learn why it is important to go to the doctor for regular check-ups, even if the prevention services are available, the same

Throughout history there has always been a portion of society living in disadvantaged conditions. With the current high cost of living, global issues, unemployment rate on the rise, and low wages, many Americans are finding themselves homeless. One would think that in this advanced century, there would not be individuals living without the basic necessities such as food, water, and shelter. Unfortunately, there are millions of people with nowhere to sleep. Besides the many problems homeless people face daily, one of the leading problems is health care. Being homeless with limited access to health care or shelter in conjunction with mental illness or exposure to harmful diseases can lead to poor health, or

the Housing First or Pathways to Housing programs consider housing a basic right and provide individuals with housing first. Housing is then combined with supportive treatment services in the areas of mental health and general medical health, substance use, education, and employment (“Permanent supportive housing: assessing the evidence”, 2014).

Housing to me is an important factor in determining my health and happiness. I believe everyone needs affordable housing to live a healthy life, whether it’s emotionally or physically.