At the Intersection of HIV and HCV (Session 1): Prevention Frameworks and Strategies

This recording is part one of a two-part webinar series to discuss best practices and considerations for both prevention and treatment of HIV/HCV, with special emphasis on the importance of harm reduction, connections to housing and other SDOH resources for at-risk populations.

Risk for coinfection of HIV and HCV remains high among special populations, including individuals who use substances and those experiencing homelessness.

New Initiative in Kansas City Successfully Reduces Hospital Interactions and Promotes Housing Stability for Formerly Homeless Individuals

In 2017 Truman Medical Centers Behavioral Health, now known as University Health Behavioral Health, or UHBH, launched the 500 in Five campaign that committed to developing and/or securing 500 units of
housing over five years.

In partnership with University Health Behavioral Health (UHBH) staff, the Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH) and University of Missouri – Kansas City (UMKC) Department of Psychology reviewed health care utilization, behavioral health services, and court data on 80 supportive housing tenants housed through the 500 in Five housing initiative launched
by UHBH in late 2017. The study group included people housed by UHBH between November 1, 2017, and February 25, 2020, a timeframe that allowed one year after housing elapses for each person before initiating a comprehensive records review of University Health (UH) health care utilization among these individuals in April 2021. The purpose of the analysis was to see what effect if any, housing had on tenants’/patients’ utilization of UH health care services and UHBH outpatient services.

The data presented in this report suggest that enrollment in UHBH’s behavioral health services combined with subsidized housing had a significant effect on how patients utilized health care at the hospital. Looking at utilization by subtype group yielded several statistically significant results that demonstrated changes in health utilization from pre-housing to post-housing. Most notably, there was a steep decline in both the number of psychiatric inpatient events (down to less than one on average per person from nearly five in the pre-period for those psychiatrically hospitalized in the year prior to housing) and the cost of those hospitalizations (decreased by 98%).

This result is consistent with several studies of permanent supportive housing that show significant decreases in psychiatric emergency department visits and psychiatric inpatient hospitalizations.

Health and Housing: Introduction to Cross-Sector Collaboration (via NASHP)

This article was authored by Marcella Maguire, Allie Atkeson, and Sandra Wilkniss. Dr. Maguire is Director, Health Systems Integration at CSH. Below is an excerpt and link to the article.

For the past decade or more, state leaders have worked across health and housing sectors to strengthen comprehensive services for individuals experiencing homelessness and housing instability. However, challenges remain for successful, person-centered coordination, cross-agency work and implementation. A significant restricting factor that limits coordination is the fragmentation of the health and housing sectors, with persons or households with multiple needs having to navigate multiple systems to address these needs.

The COVID-19 pandemic and related economic and social crises have further exacerbated long-standing needs for coordinated health and housing services. Structural and institutional racism has created segregated communities and limited access to resources, furthering the need to center equity in states’ health and housing work. Click here to access the entire article.

Using Home and Community Based Services for Supportive Housing

This paper published with the generous support from The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation shares critical information about the Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) program and how it can boost ‘services’ in supportive housing. HCBS services help individuals live comfortably in their own homes, despite challenges commonly faced by
people with disabilities and all of us as we age. HCBS will be an essential supplementary resource to help supportive housing tenants thrive in their community at all ages.

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Heartland Alliance Highlights CSH Asset Mapping Work in Los Angeles

People experiencing homelessness often struggle to connect to the employment services they want and need. Asset mapping is a process by which communities can gain a clearer understanding of available services, the systems and agencies that deliver them, and how individuals connect to those services in order to improve referral pathways and ensure people receive the services they need.

CSH partnered with stakeholders in Los Angeles County, CA to gather information about existing employment services referral networks, identify gaps and opportunities, and propose improvements.

Read more about the asset-mapping process in two communities in Los Angeles County and recommendations for other communities here.

Affordable Housing Finance Magazine Highlights CSH’s New Market Tax Credit Investment in Construction of the Stout Street Recuperative Care Facility and Renaissance Legacy Lofts

The Colorado Coalition for the Homeless has moved a step closer to developing one of its most ambitious projects.

The organization recently finalized the financing and structuring of a deal that will bring a first-of-its-kind recuperative care facility for people experiencing homelessness and a 98-unit permanent supportive housing development to Denver.

The mixed-use property will help meet the health care needs for 400 homeless persons annually through medical respite and recuperative care while creating permanent homes for people experiencing homelessness.

Read more in Affordable Housing Finance magazine's write-up here.

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Bring California Home Campaign Calls on Sacramento Leadership to Prioritize Fighting Homelessness in 2021 Legislative Session

CSH believes that everyone should have a safe and affordable place to call home, with the quality services and support they need to thrive. That was true before COVID-19, and it’s even more true now as thousands of our most vulnerable neighbors have been left without access to the resources they need to stay safe from the virus. 

Everyone should have a safe place to lay their head at night. 

That’s why we’re so proud to partner with Bring CA Home — a new initiative to ensure we have the resources to combat homelessness at scale and ensure no family is left without a place to call home during a time of crisis. 

Over the last few years, California has invested billions of dollars to address our homelessness in our communities. While these one-time funding allocations have delivered real results, we need a sustainable, reliable strategy designed to deliver results over the long-term.

Our plan calls for California to invest $2.4 billion annually, which, combined with federal and local resources, would reverse the cycle of homelessness for our state. 

This annual $2.4 billion policy proposal could fund:

  • Prevention: help 28,000 people and families on the brink of homelessness by creating new affordable apartments and providing low-cost interventions like rental assistance and other cash payments that allow people to stay in their homes;
  • Interim housing: help close to 25,000 individuals and families access a safe place to shelter while they find permanent housing, including innovative programs like leasing motel rooms similar to Project Roomkey, hotel vouchers, or navigation centers with case managers;  
  • Permanent housing: allow at least 43,000 people to move into permanent housing through rental housing and capital development, and for at least 22,000 households to connect to family and friends to exit homelessness; and
  • Services: provide housing navigation, case management and employment support to about 50,000 people so they can thrive in long-term housing.

This moment calls for bold action if we're serious about supporting those experiencing homelessness or on the brink of losing their home. Bring CA Home is spearheading the transformational approach we need to ensure housing stability for everyone who calls California home.

Find out more on their website on how you can help: bringcahome.org

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Assessing New Jersey’s Need for Supportive Housing for an Aging Population

The number of older adults in New Jersey is steadily growing, yet the demand for affordable, accessible housing and services far outpaces the supply. Our new report, Assessing New Jersey’s Need for Supportive Housing for an Aging Population, examines how many additional units of supportive housing the state currently needs to meet the demand. It also highlights the demographics of those in need of supportive housing, and the specific needs of each population.

With generous funding from the Henry and Marilyn Taub Foundation, CSH will be working with community partners over the next year in developing concrete steps to address this need. Our next steps will focus on:

  1. Expanding Service Dollars
  2. Maintaining Capital Funding
  3. Maximizing COVID Resources
  4. Addressing NIMBYism (Not In My Backyard)
  5. Expanding Eligibility
  6. Strengthening the Workforce

Please reach out to Cassondra Warney if you’d like to get involved! 

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