Resources

Supportive housing programs that offer shelter to the homeless and a variety of medical and social services have had a dramatic impact on health outcomes and costs in communities that have implemented them. One—a pilot program in Los Angeles that focused on homeless patients who fell into the highest decile of costs—provided housing and improved access to care for patients, leading to an average cost-reduction per participant of $59,415. The spread of such programs has been hampered by lack of funding, but that may change in states that have expanded their Medicaid programs and must now find a way to control health care spending for this vulnerable population.