https://mailchi.mp/ea16393ac3c3/gist-weekly-march-22-2024?e=d1e747d2d8

Published last week in the New York Times, this piece highlights a growing trend in health system community benefit provision: partnering with developers to build affordable housing.

These partnerships have focused on a range of housing needs, from transitional housing for people experiencing homelessness, to housing for people who need special care, to affordable housing for hospital employees. Many of these projects also include co-located medical clinics to make it easier for residents to access healthcare services, and some are even being planned on health system-owned property. 

The Gist: Housing security has long been a significant social determinant of health, something that most providers recognize every day, given that a record number of Americans are currently experiencing homelessness. 

Among families with complex medical needs, stable housing was demonstrated to reduce adverse health outcomes in children by 20 percent. In addition to health systems, managed care organizations are also investing in different kinds of housing solutions, and at least 19 states are directing Medicaid dollars toward housing assistance.