Housing is the Best Medicine: Supportive Housing and the Social Determinants of Health

“Access to safe, quality, affordable housing – and the supports necessary to maintain that housing – constitute one of the most basic and powerful social determinants of health. In particular, for individuals and families trapped in a cycle of crisis and housing instability due to extreme poverty, trauma, violence, mental illness, addiction or other chronic health conditions, housing can entirely dictate their health and health trajectory. For these populations, housing is a necessary precursor of health. Supportive Housing is increasingly recognized as a cost-effective health intervention for homeless and other extremely vulnerable populations.”