The Economic Roundtable recently published a report showing a reduction in public costs when chronically homeless hospital patients are placed into permanent supportive housing. The National Low Income Housing Coalition has more:
A new report published by the Economic Roundtable, shows that placing high cost homeless hospital patients into permanent supportive housing can significantly reduce annual public and hospital costs. According to the report, for every $1 spent to house and support homeless patients with chronic illnesses, $2 in public costs can be avoided in the first year after the patient is housed, and $6 in subsequent years.
This study examined the outcomes of 163 hospital patients screened by the 10th Decile Project in Los Angeles between April 2011 and May 2013. The 10th Decile Project works with hospitals to identify the 10% of chronically homeless patients associated with the highest public hospital costs and offers housing, social, and health assistance…
After 10th Decile patients obtained permanent housing, total annual average public and hospital costs per person decreased from $63,808 to $16,913, not including housing subsidy costs. After a patient is housed, the public costs avoided amount to $31,736 in the first year, and $40,377 in subsequent years, even after accounting for housing subsidy costs.
The full report, Getting Home: Outcomes from Housing High Cost Homeless Hospital Patients, can be found on The Economic Roundtable’s webpage. Here’s a look at the pre and post-housing costs of those studied:
