Permanent Housing
Description
AFC believes that housing is health care and that every person has the right safe and decent housing. AFC’s Housing Team leads strategies to increase the availability of affordable housing for low-income people with HIV or chronic conditions while supporting improved health outcomes for residents.
Grounded in Housing First and Harm Reduction approaches, we connect residents to the services they want after having the stability of a home. We also coordinate with residents’ health care providers to ensure they are able to meet their health needs.
AFC’s work in housing includes:
- Promoting public and private efforts to increase the stock of affordable housing for people with disabilities, including those living with HIV.
- Supporting Illinois Getting to Zero initiative by addressing root causes of health disparities, such as housing instability
- Leading systemic efforts to ensure all housing residents can have an undetectable HIV viral load
- Providing in-home mental health and substance use counseling to residents in our housing programs
- Assisting people who are chronically homeless to find permanent housing and receive services their physical and behavioral health conditions
- Convening HIV housing advocates and organizing efforts to improve the housing continuum.
- Coordinating a network of regional HIV service providers and managing the delivery of HIV rental subsidies for low-income people with HIV or chronic conditions.
- Assisting more than 1,000 households annually with long-term rental subsides and housing services
Numerous studies over the past two decades have shown the importance of stable housing in overall health and life outcomes. Permanent supportive housing for people who are homeless with complex health needs has proven to be a cost-effective intervention that significantly reduces more expensive crisis services such as emergency rooms, hospitals and jails.
CHHP Cost Savings Analysis
CHHP Study
Looking for AFC’s subsidiary, the Center for Housing and Health? Click here.