Housing for Health Permanent Supportive Housing Program

An Evidence-Based Practice

Description

Housing for Health, a division within the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services, provided supportive housing to Department of Health Services patients with complex medical and behavioral health issues who were experiencing homelessness. Evaluation compared service use and costs among recipients during the year prior to receiving housing compared to the year following receiving housing.

Goal / Mission

Housing for Health program goals are to improve patients’ health, reduce costs to the public health system, and demonstrate DHS’s commitment to addressing homelessness within Los Angeles County.

Impact

The average public service utilization cost per participant for the year prior to housing totaled $38,146; in the year after receiving housing, it totaled $15,358. When taking into account PSH costs, RAND observed a 20-percent net cost savings, suggesting a potential cost benefit of the program.

Results / Accomplishments

Healthcare utilization was reduced significantly, including ED visits (80%), inpatient stays (61%), and outpatient visits (47%). Participants had significant reductions in all Department of Health Services costs, including inpatient services (76%), emergency services (66%), and crisis stabilization (59%).

About this Promising Practice

Organization(s)
Housing for Health
Primary Contact
Sarah B. Hunter
1776 Main St
Santa Monica, CA, 90401
(310) 393-0411, x7244
Sarah_Hunter@rand.org
https://www.rand.org/about/people/h/hunter_sarah_b...
Topics
Economy / Housing & Homes
Health
Organization(s)
Housing for Health
Source
RAND Corporation
Date of publication
2017
Date of implementation
2017
Geographic Type
Urban
Location
Los Angeles County
For more details
https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RR1694....
Target Audience
Adults
Additional Audience
Homeless

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Related Content for: Housing for Health Permanent Supportive Housing Program

An Evidence-Based Practice meets the following HCI criteria:

  1. The program description includes at a minimum: the sponsoring organization, program goals, program implementation steps, and outcomes that have demonstrated program success in achieving the program goal in one or more localities.
  2. The results from an evaluation of the program include quantitative measures showing improvement in the outcome(s) of interest after the implementation of the program (i.e. increase in smoking cessation, not just the delivery of a smoking cessation program). The outcome measure(s) is/are compared at relevant time periods before and after the intervention or program implementation. Alternatively, the evaluation study compares the outcome(s) between an intervention group and an appropriate control group.
  3. The study is of peer-review quality and presents numbers in a scientific manner; measurements of precision and reliability are included (e.g. confidence intervals, standard errors), results from statistical tests show a significant difference or change in the outcome measure(s), and relevant point estimates and p-values are presented. Note: if the results from an evaluation of a program are presented in a scientific manner and the outcome measure is improved compared to the baseline measurement or the control group but the difference is not statistically significant, the practice is classified as effective and not evidence-based.