Chronic Homelessness

People experiencing homelessness often have complex health care and social service needs which present significant care challenges to hospitals, such as longer lengths of stays, higher readmission rates, and complicated chronic illnesses.

April 2015 Printer Friendly Version in PDF Format: http://aspe.hhs.gov/pdf-report/state-strategies-coordinating-medicaid-services-and-housing-adults-behavioral-health-conditions (12 PDF pages)

This Issue Brief highlights the efforts of four states--Illinois, Louisiana, Massachusetts, and Tennessee--to facilitate provider-level coordination for Medicaid beneficiaries with behavioral health disorders. It describes the financing strategies and specific mechanisms that states are using to improve care coordination.

Martha Burt, Carol Wilkins, and Gretchen Locke

This is one of two reports examining the use of Medicaid to cover services for individuals experiencing chronic homelessness, particularly in Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH). It provides a “how-to” guide on the various ways that Medicaid can cover such services, including the Medicaid authorities and new options provided under the Affordable Care Act.

This Issue Paper describes innovative approaches to establishing SSI eligibility. [33 PDF pages]

This Issue Paper looks at innovative ways that public housing agencies are supporting housing for formerly homeless people in the communities the researchers visited. [29 PDF pages]

This report reflects existing published and unpublished literature on permanent supportive housing (PSH) for people who are chronically homeless. It has a particular focus on the role that Medicaid currently plays in covering the costs of the supportive services that help people keep their housing and improve their health and quality of life.