Housing and health problems are intertwined. According to the nonpartisan Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, policy decisions like residential segregation and the failure of some states to expand Medicaid have created barriers to both stable housing and health care, particularly for people of color and those with lower incomes.
Housing is a crucial driver of health because where people live often predicts their access to quality care, education, jobs, food, and other resources. Overcrowded, deteriorating homes pose health and safety risks, while a lack of affordable housing can lead to eviction, foreclosure, and homelessness. Access to high-quality, affordable housing is associated with improved life expectancy and reductions in chronic disease and hospitalizations.
Since 2001, median rental costs have risen faster than renters’ incomes. People with housing difficulties often have significant health needs but forgo treatment and preventive care due to their inability to pay. People experiencing homelessness often have unmet health care needs, with over half reporting a combination of physical, mental, and substance use conditions that can make it even harder to get and maintain housing.
Both housing vouchers and Medicaid expansion reduce evictions and unmet health care needs by supplementing and freeing up income. States that expanded Medicaid reduced evictions by 20% over states that did not, and people experiencing homelessness in non-expansion states are three times more likely to be uninsured.
Are we not called to advocate for those among us who are impacted by these long-standing inequities?