For 30 years, the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless has been working to integrate health care and housing services for the homeless based on the principle that managing serious mental illnesses, substance abuse disorders, and chronic medical conditions prevalent among the homeless requires safe housing.

Over the decades, the nonprofit has overseen the development of 1,600 housing units for homeless individuals and families in Denver and across the state, a significant portion of which are targeted to those in frail health whose recovery has been hindered by lack of consistent access to nutritious food, clean water, and a place to rest.

The coalition’s most recent and largest development—the Stout Street Health Center and Renaissance Stout Street Lofts—combines a 53,000-square-foot federally qualified health center for the homeless with 78 housing units (see video). The building in downtown Denver provides those housed in coalition developments and those that are still homeless with access to a continuum of health care services—including primary care, mental health services, substance abuse treatment, and dental and vision care—generally on a same-day basis…

• Continue reading this article by Sarah Klein on the Commonwealth Fund Website