Trends in Housing Assistance and Who it Serves

People with mental health disabilities are vastly overrepresented in the population of people who experience homelessness. Of the more than 550,000 people in America who experienced homelessness on a given night in 2017, 1 in 5 had a mental illness.

Social determinants of health are the economic and social conditions that affect health outcomes and are the underlying, contributing factors of health inequities. Examples include housing, educational attainment, employment and the environment.

Through the hard work of communities around the country, we now have proof of something that we didn’t before—that ending homelessness is achievable.

Homelessness among children is correlated with developmental delays, fair or poor health, and high healthcare utilization. Associations of homelessness specifically among infants younger than 12 months, however, are unknown.

We sought to learn more about how state- and locally funded rental assistance programs were created, how they are structured, whom they serve, and how they are funded.

On January 1, 2014, in states that have chosen to expand Medicaid eligibility under the Affordable Care Act, nearly all chronically homeless people who lacked health insurance became eligible for Medicaid.

In December 2016, federal and state policymakers examined health and housing issues at a meeting convened in Washington, D.C., by the National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP) with support from The Commonwealth Fund.

In December 2016, federal and state policymakers examined the intersection of unstable housing and negative health outcomes at a meeting convened in Washington, D.C., by the National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP) with support from The Commonwealth Fund.