Feature Story

March 31, 2009

Providing housing for homeless persons with alcoholism linked with reduced health care costs

From EurekAlert! - Breaking News:

An intervention that provides housing for homeless persons with severe alcohol problems without requiring abstinence from drinking was associated with reduced health care use and costs and a decrease in the use of alcohol, according to a study in the April 1 issue of JAMA.

Chronically homeless people with severe alcohol problems are costly to the public because of their high use of publicly funded health and criminal justice systems resources. Typical interventions such as shelters, abstinence-based housing and treatment programs fail to reverse these patterns for this population, according to background information in the article.

The provision of housing reduces hospital visits, admissions and duration of hospital stays among homeless individuals. One type of supportive housing, called Housing First (HF), removes the requirements for sobriety, mandatory attendance to alcohol treatment programs, and other barriers to housing entrance.

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