Housing Smart
Housing Smart
Reducing emergency room use for people experiencing homelessness and delivering stable housing and better health care at lower costs.
What is Housing Smart?
Housing Smart is a collaboration between Resources for Human Development (RHD), Temple University Hospital, Keystone First, and the Health Partners Insurance Plan. It aims to improve the health of people experiencing homelessness by providing them with housing and support services. To qualify, participants must be frequent utilizers of the emergency rooms; have a chronic health condition, a serious mental illness(es) and/or substance use disorder(s); and be experiencing homelessness.
Our Goal
Our goal through the Housing Smart program is to not only provide stable housing to homeless individuals, but to also provide complete health care services. We want to meet the participant where they are on their recovery journey and to assist in achieving (and maintaining) permanent supportive living.
Outcomes
As of June 1, 2021, there was a 75% decrease in emergency department visits, a 79% decrease in inpatient admissions, a 77% decrease in admissions for observation, and a 50% increase in outpatient appointments.
Contact Information:
Housing Smart Donation:
A donation of $189 provides a week of nutritious meals, delivered to formerly homeless individuals, along with instructions for future independent meal preparation.
$500 provides a year of Wi-Fi for an individual so they can apply for jobs and pursue education.
A donation of $15,000 helps us move a person off the street into their own apartment, including furniture, a security deposit, and the first twelve months of rent.
Community Resources
In addition to the Housing Smart program, these community resources can provide immediate assistance:
- Community Behavioral Health: 215-413-3100
- Suicide & Crisis Center (24/7): 215-686-4420
- Philadelphia Domestic Violence Hotline (24/7):866-723-3014
- Hunger Coalition: 215-430-0555
The following press release from Temple is also to be included on the web page:
Program Aimed at Providing Housing & Support Services for People Experiencing Homelessness
Health Partners Plans, Keystone First, Resources for Human Development, Inc. (RHD) and Temple University Hospital today announced their collaborative pilot program aimed directly at improving the health of homeless patients by providing them with housing subsidies and support services. Between April and October 2020, the “Housing Smart” program enrolled 25 high healthcare utilizers with instances of avoidable emergency department or inpatient admissions. Priority was given to participants with opioid use disorder (OUD) and persistent mental illness with co-occurring physical health conditions.