Page 12 - Island County community-health-needs-assessment for 2018 e-magazine

PRIORITY 2

Perspectives

Current research has clearly
demonstrated the connection between
safe, affordable housing and good
health. A 2011 study published by the
Center for the Study of Social Policy
found that living in a distressed housing
situation magnifies the effects of poverty
on an individual in many ways including
limiting educational achievement,
economic opportunity, health and
other indicators of well-being. Poor
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housing conditions have also been
linked to infectious and chronic diseases,
injuries, poor child development and
mental illness. Examples of conditions
include respiratory infections, asthma,
cardiovascular disease, cancer, lead
poisoning and psychological distress.
Community investments in housing
programs can result in significant savings
in health care costs, while improving
health outcomes. In fact, more than a
dozen studies over the past decade
have quantified ways in which homeless
people with disabilities utilize various
public systems, including hospitals,
emergency rooms, psychiatric hospitals,
shelters, jails and prisons. These studies
have come to conclude that leaving
vulnerable individuals and families
homeless taxes public health systems
and places an undue burden on local
taxpayers; and that providing these same
people with supportive housing saves at
least enough money to pay for housing
the homeless.

A 2006 cost study based on Seattle’s
Voices Housing First program, targeted alcoholic
“There are alot of people out there on
homeless persons and succeeded in
the streets. It’s not enough for people saving tax payers $4 million dollars in its
to pass by and feel sorry for them.” first year of operation. The study reported

an average savings of 53 percent, or
Focus Group Participant nearly $2500 per month per person in
health and social services compared to
costs incurred by a control group. 9

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