Permanent Supportive Housing and Medicaid Utilization and Spending in Pennsylvania

Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) programs provide long-term housing assistance and support services to individuals with disabling physical and mental health conditions experiencing chronic homelessness.
Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) provides community-based housing with “indefinite leasing or rental assistance paired with supportive services to assist homeless persons with a disability or families with an adult or child member with a disability achieve housing stability."
The University of Pittsburgh Medicaid Research Center conducted a comprehensive analysis of 5,859 individuals enrolled in Pennsylvania Medicaid in 54 counties who received PSH between 2011 and 2016.
Housing is a key social determinant of health.
In a recent review of the scientific literature, the Institute of Medicine noted that lack of housing can cause or exacerbate health problems which can contribute to housing instability.
In their analysis of chronically homeless Pennsylvania Medicaid enrollees, we found that entry into PSH was associated with long-term decreases in inpatient and ED utilization, as well as reduced Medicaid expenditures relative to enrollees who did not receive PSH.
There is a growing consensus among policy makers that PSH can help homeless individuals with disabling physical or mental health conditions better manage their health needs and reduce medical expenditures.

Colorado county named healthiest US community: Report scores 3,000 communities on health-related issues

“Housing is so fundamental to everyday existence,” said Marjory Givens, PhD, MSPH, associate scientist at the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute, which produces the annual report in partnership with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. “This is a problem that we saw across the nation, and it really is a problem that plays out in a local context.”
The rankings report zeroes in on the social determinant of housing, noting that severe housing costs are associated with barriers to good health and longevity. In particular, researchers reported that among those who own their homes, the burden of housing costs have gone down in the last decade, while renters have experienced no such improvements.
White residents have consistently experienced the highest rates of home ownership, at rates up to 30% higher than for people of color.
Nearly 1 in 4 black households spend more than half their incomes on housing, the report found, while more segregated counties have greater rates of severe housing costs for both black and white residents. Overall, the rate of severe housing cost burden varied widely among counties, ranging from 1% to more than 30% of households.
Housing problems often occurred in the same context as child poverty, poorer health and food insecurity, Givens told The Nation’s Health.
“We want to spark conversations and catalyze action,” Givens said of the report. “We want to empower local change-makers because that’s really where the ball starts rolling.”

How can we have this conversation and catalyze change?

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Navah Stein December 3, 2019 at 2:54pm
Colorado county named healthiest US community: Report scores 3,000 communities on health-related issues
- “Housing is so fundamental to everyday existence,” said Marjory Givens, PhD, MSPH, associate scientist at the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute, which produces the annual report in partnership with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. “This is a problem that we saw across the nation, and it really is a problem that plays out in a local context.”
- The rankings report zeroes in on the social determinant of housing, noting that severe housing costs are associated with barriers to good health and longevity. In particular, researchers reported that among those who own their homes, the burden of housing costs have gone down in the last decade, while renters have experienced no such improvements.
- White residents have consistently experienced the highest rates of home ownership, at rates up to 30% higher than for people of color.
- Nearly 1 in 4 black households spend more than half their incomes on housing, the report found, while more segregated counties have greater rates of severe housing costs for both black and white residents. Overall, the rate of severe housing cost burden varied widely among counties, ranging from 1% to more than 30% of households.
- Housing problems often occurred in the same context as child poverty, poorer health and food insecurity, Givens told The Nation’s Health.
- “We want to spark conversations and catalyze action,” Givens said of the report. “We want to empower local change-makers because that’s really where the ball starts rolling.”
How can we have this conversation and catalyze change?

Read More >>
Colorado county named healthiest US community: Report scores 3,000 communities on health-related is…

Earlier this year, Douglas County, Colorado, was tapped as the healthiest community in the country, moving up from its previous spot at No. 2.

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Social Determinants

Housing is a key Social Determinant of Health

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Colorado county named healthiest US community: Report scores 3,000 communities on health-related issues