Permanent supportive housing: Addressing homelessness and health disparities?

B.F. Henwood, L.J. Cabassa, C.M. Craig and D.K. Padgett

American Journal of Public Health, 2013, vol. 103, issue S2, S188-S192

Abstract: Permanent supportive housing (PSH) is an intervention to address long-term homelessness. Evidence has resulted in a shift in US policy toward using PSH rather than shelters and transitional housing. Despite recognizing that individuals transitioning from homelessness to PSH experience a high burden of disease and health disparities, public health research has not considered whether and how PSH improves physical health outcomes. Based on diverse areas of research, we argue that in addition to improved access to quality health care, social determinants of health (including housing itself, neighborhood characteristics, and built environment) affect health outcomes. We identify implications for practice and research, and conclude that federal and local efforts to end long-term homelessness can interact with concurrent efforts to build healthy communities.

Keywords: article; demography; environment; health care delivery; health care quality; health disparity; health promotion; homelessness; housing; human; mental health service; organization and management; policy; primary health care; public health; social determinants of health; time; United States; epidemiology; health care delivery; health care quality; United States, Environment; Health Promotion; Health Services Accessibility; Health Status Disparities; Homeless Persons; Housing; Humans; Mental Health Services; Policy; Primary Health Care; Public Health; Quality of Health Care; Residence Characteristics; Social Determinants of Health; Time Factors; United States, Environment; Health Promotion; Health Services Accessibility; Health Status Disparities; Homeless Persons; Housing; Humans; Mental Health Services; Policy; Primary Health Care; Public Health; Quality of Health Care; Residence Characteristics; Social Determinants of Health; Time Factors; United States (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2013
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (9)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:aph:ajpbhl:10.2105/ajph.2013.301490_2

DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2013.301490

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