APRIL 2010
State House Housing First Briefing
Representative James O’Day and Representative Byron Rushing (below) co-sponsored a Housing First briefing at the State House on Wednesday, April 7, 2010.
The Housing First initiatives highlighted were Home Again, funded by The Health Foundation of Central Massachusetts and Massachusetts Housing and Shelter Alliance's Home & Healthy for Good initiative. Both have successfully forwarded the Housing First approach and improved the health and quality of life of many formerly homeless individuals in the Commonwealth.
MHSA President & Executive Director Joe Finn and Physician Advocate Jessie Gaeta, M.D. shared the success of Home & Healthy for Good, including a 67 percent reduction in Medicaid costs per person after being placed in housing. Click here to read more about Home & Healthy for Good.
Dr. Jan Yost from The Health Foundation of Central Massachusetts and associate professor at the Boston University School of Public Health Dr. Emily Rothman highlighted the significant impacts of the Worcester-based Home Again project. Dr. Rothman shared statistically significant data on the project that demonstrates improved health outcomes among participants.
Home Again was designed through a collaborative effort of several of the Worcester region's largest providers of emergency shelter, mental health and other support services. The Home Again partners are Community Healthlink, the Central Massachusetts Housing Alliance, Dismas House, Henry Lee Willis Community Center, Jeremiah's Inn and South Middlesex Opportunity Council/People In Peril Shelter.
Left to Right: Dr. Jan Yost, The Health Foundation of Central Massachusetts, Joe Finn, Massachusetts Housing and Shelter Alliance, John O'Brien, US Interagency Council on Homelessness and John Ford, Home Again program.
