More Evidence that “Housing Is Health Care”
At AIDS Action, I let people know about HIV treatment advances and new approaches to prevent the spread of the virus. As exciting as these developments can be, it’s also essential to recognize the critical importance of support services for persons living with HIV.
There is extensive evidence that a person’s housing status – whether stably housed or homeless – has a huge impact on their health. The latest addition to this growing body of research is a special supplement to this month’s AIDS and Behavior journal. The supplement contains 18 peer-reviewed articles focusing on the relationship between housing status and a range of HIV-related health outcomes.
Several of these studies found that having stable housing reduces the likelihood that persons will engage in behaviors – such as sharing needles, having unprotected sex, or exchanging sex for drugs – that place them at high risk for becoming infected with HIV or transmitting the virus to others.
A group of Canadian researchers reviewed nearly 30 studies evaluating the effects of housing on health-related outcomes. These studies showed that, in addition to reducing risk behavior, stable housing helps HIV+ persons:
- Enter medical care and remain in care
- Access social services, including mental health and substance use programs
- Take their medications more consistently (better adherence)
Researchers in Chicago and San Francisco have found that programs providing stable housing for chronically homeless persons significantly reduce the number of emergency room visits and hospitalizations, as well as the length of time people spend in hospitals or nursing homes.
Taken together, these studies support the contention that housing itself independently reduces the risk of acquiring or transmitting HIV infection and improves the health of persons living with HIV.
“The findings reported here suggest that the condition of homelessness, and not simply traits of homeless individuals, influences risk behaviors and health care utilization,” according to Dr. Angela Aidala of the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. “This points to housing as a strategic target for intervention – a potentially exciting new tool to end the AIDS epidemic in America.”
