Direct Access to Housing

Tenant Outcomes

Housing Retention

Since opening the first DAH site in 1999, almost two-thirds of the residents have remained housed in the DAH program. The remaining one-third have exited the DAH program. Among those who have left:

• 50% moved to other permanent housing.
• 4% were evicted from DAH housing, most often because of repeated non-payment of rent, violence, or destruction of property.
• 4% have died due to complex medical histories.

Health Care Utilization

DAH residents typically use a considerable amount of health care services prior to entering permanent supportive housing. Current data indicate that DAH residents average 12 visits to outpatient medical services in the year prior to DAH placement. After placement, tenants experience little change in outpatient visits because on-site case managers encourage them to maintain primary care appointments; however, emergency room visits as well as inpatient (both psychiatric and medical) and skilled nursing days decreased significantly after housing placement. In one study of the Plaza Apartments, health care costs dropped from approximately $3 million the year prior to being housed to $1 million the year after housing placement. The overall public expenditure to house Plaza residents was considerably less than for the residents to remain homeless.