Study links stable housing with better healthcare access

A study published Monday is the first to link affordable, stable housing with better healthcare access.

An analysis of data from the U.S. Housing and Urban Development Department found 31% of adults 18 to 64 who received housing assistance were uninsured compared to 37% of eligible adults who were not receiving assistance at the time they were interviewed between 2004 and 2012, but wound up receiving assistance over the next two years.

The analysis, published in Health Affairs, also found 40% of current recipients delayed medical care due to cost compared with 48% of future recipients.

Study co-author Alan Simon, who at the time of the study served as a medical officer in HHS' Office on Women's Health, said federal funding could help address a key social determinant of health.

HUD manages three programs to assist low-income families. One comes in the form of a housing voucher paid to landlords. The agency also provides affordable apartments within public housing buildings. Lastly, HUD subsidizes some property owners so they can reduce the cost of rent.

Over the past decade, a growing number of providers have acknowledged the role of housing in health by collaborating with social service agencies and not-for-profit organizations to offer temporary housing for homeless patients after they are discharged. The goal is to help lower-income people if they're having trouble making choices between paying for a doctors' visit or medication and paying for housing.

Despite the potential health benefit, many state Medicaid programs do not fund affordable housing or temporary housing. And public health advocates say President Donald Trump's recent budget proposal could severely strain existing federal housing supports. The plan calls for HUD funding to be reduced by $6 billion in fiscal 2018.

Bobby Watts, CEO for the National Health Care for the Homeless Council, says he worries that might lead to more homelessness.