NJ Spotlight published the following article on April 8, 2014. To read the full article, click here.
PROVIDING A SOLID FOUNDATION FOR IMPROVING THE HEALTH OF THE HOMELESS
ANDREW KITCHENMAN | APRIL 8, 2014Helping patients find a permanent place to live called crucial part of effective medical care
Health providers are increasingly focusing on ways to reduce the number of costly hospital visits, both by improving outpatient services and by trying to head off health problems before they become crises.
But this is extremely difficult to put into practice for people without stable housing, which is why healthcare advocates are joining with other social-service organizations to support the Housing First program, which focuses on giving people a permanent place to call home before addressing their healthcare needs.
Housing First, which started in Los Angeles in the 1980s, has been used by the federal government to support homeless veterans.
In New Jersey, it’s been active in Bergen and Mercer counties, and officials in other counties in the state are interested in developing Housing First programs.
Serious challenges stand in the way of providing the new affordable housing needed in New Jersey. In Camden, for example, it costs nearly $100,000 to convert the average vacant house into a new affordable unit, according to Felix Torres-Colon, director of operations for St. Joseph’s Carpenter Society, which builds affordable units in that city.