Increasingly, health policymakers and health professionals are addressing social needs and social determinants of health as a way to make tangible improvements in the health of patients and their communities. Echoing the World Health Organization, the New York State Department of Health defines social determinants of health as the conditions in which people are born, live, grow, work, and age, which can affect a wide range of health risks and outcomes. The lack of stable housing, as United Hospital Fund (UHF) has shown previously, can have a powerful impact on health. But the quality of housing has considerable health effects as well; this brief illustrates why housing quality is a high-priority social need that some Medicaid plans and providers are actively working to address. Substandard housing affects many New Yorkers and can contribute to health problems such as pediatric asthma and other respiratory conditions. Examining indoor air quality as a key aspect of substandard housing in New York City (NYC), the brief identifies neighborhoods that Medicaid providers and health plans might target to reduce asthma-related health care utilization through housing interventions--particularly for children enrolled in Medicaid--and suggests where interventions might be most needed. The brief then explores several innovative models for designing and delivering such housing interventions--and key challenges faced by such models.
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