Given the fact that many homeless patients end up costing the system a lot more than average, several Chicago hospitals are considering ways to house them.
Many chronically homeless people also struggle with chronic illness. Permanent housing could reduce their costly dependence on the public medical safety net. Kristen Schorsch writes, "Research shows having a home reduces ER trips and hospitalizations as well as jail and detox time. A permanent address also boosts the rates that patients regularly see doctors who focus on prevention. Hospitals save money by not providing unnecessary care for little or no reimbursement."
Meanwhile, the University of Illinois Better Health Through Housing program has been piloting such an effort for several years. During 2015 and 2016, "The system spent about $250,000 to house 26 patients. The average monthly medical costs per person declined from about $5,900, to around $4,800 after they found housing."
FULL STORY: Why more Chicago hospitals are getting into the housing business
How One Minnesota County Cut Homelessness by 80 Percent
While homelessness rose in most U.S. regions, Hennepin County invested heavily in programs to end chronic homelessness and get people into temporary and supportive housing faster.
Homeless Counts Fall Short in Gathering Accurate Statistics
Assessing the scale of homelessness in the United States is surprisingly difficult, with statistics failing to capture the diversity of unhoused people and their situations.
Permanent Supportive Housing Works for the Chronically Homeless, Study Says
A groundbreaking study provides some of the strongest evidence yet of the powerful results of permanent supportive housing for the chronically homeless.
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Google Maps Introduces New Transit, EV Features
It will now be easier to find electric car charging stations and transit options.
Ohio Lawmakers Propose Incentivizing Housing Production
A proposed bill would take a carrot approach to stimulating housing production through a grant program that would reward cities that implement pro-housing policies.
Chicago Awarded $2M Reconnecting Communities Grant
Community advocates say the city’s plan may not do enough to reverse the negative impacts of a major expressway.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
Town of Zionsville
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Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
