Stable housing can be a key factor in improving health outcomes, and Maryland is expanding a Medicaid program designed to help more residents achieve both.
In a WYPR article, the Maryland Department of Health is expanding its Assistance in Community Integration Services program, adding 1,070 participant spaces to help more Medicaid recipients experiencing or at risk of homelessness access stable housing and healthcare support.
The program serves Medicaid participants with at least two chronic health conditions who are experiencing housing instability. Through the program, participants are paired with case managers who help connect them with housing, healthcare providers, and other community-based services that support long-term stability.
From the WYPR article:
We see that when we have people connected to our program, 80% get connected to permanent stable housing. We also see it reduces ED visits from over four a year to zero for most of our participants. We just see how housing is so fundamental to people being able to stay healthy and thrive in their communities, said Perrie Briskin, Deputy Secretary, Healthcare Finance and Medicaid Director, Maryland Department of Health.
According to the WYPR article, a recent five-year study by the Hilltop Institute at UMBC also found supportive housing was associated with significant reductions in emergency department visits, hospitalizations, and 30-day hospital readmissions.
The expansion comes as federal housing policy is shifting. The US Department of Housing and Urban Development has reduced the share of Continuum of Care funding dedicated to permanent housing, instead placing greater emphasis on transitional housing.
From the WYPR article:
Maryland receives about $69 million in Continuum of Care funds and Baltimore was awarded $29 million in 2024. That shift will put more of a burden on emergency services, local governments and community organizations, as federal funding for permanent housing takes a steep nosedive.
Expanding programs like Assistance in Community Integration Services is intended to help address those challenges by connecting more Marylanders with stable housing and coordinated healthcare services before crises occur.
