Safe, reliable housing is one key to good health

Having a safe place to live is a critical, yet often overlooked, factor of having good health. Without it, getting a job, making medical appointments, and recovering from illness can become more difficult. For children, unstable housing can disrupt their education and social development.

That’s why M Health Fairview is investing in affordable housing initiatives and forming partnerships with community organizations that can provide our patients with stable homes—and the health benefits that come with them.

“There's strong evidence linking housing stability and quality to health outcomes,” said Larry Hiscock, community partnerships manager at M Health Fairview. “What happens inside our clinical walls accounts for only 20% of the population's health. The other 80% happens outside our clinical walls.”

Our providers see firsthand how secure housing can drastically improve the effectiveness of medical care. Unreliable housing includes not having a permanent address, couch surfing, temporarily staying with family members, or in a hotel or shelter. It's not just lack of a home that affects health. M Health Fairview patients have shared that the stress of keeping up with home repairs and dealing with landlord issues, foreclosure or eviction can be just as detrimental to their wellbeing.

"There’s a close relationship between housing and health,” said Sameer Gupta, MD, a pediatric critical care specialist. “As healthcare providers, our main goal is keeping people healthy. Therefore, we want to invest in housing and support housing initiatives for our patients.”

Read on to learn how Fairview is using the protective power of housing to support patient health and wellbeing and build thriving communities, including partnering with local and national housing organizations to co-develop solutions and advocate for safe, stable, and appealing housing.

Screening for housing

In 2023 M Health Fairview primary care providers began screening patients for social determinants of health during appointments. Social determinants of health are non-medical factors – like food insecurity, exposure to violence at home, lack of educational opportunities, or absence of a social support network – that significantly affect health outcomes.

For example, someone with asthma might receive medication from the emergency department to help them breathe easier and stabilize their condition, but if they return to an unhealthy living environment, the medication won’t make a meaningful difference. In cases like these, tenant advocacy groups can be crucial in persuading a landlord to improve living conditions. Ask for a referral to a social worker, if you could benefit from housing help.

"We know that the care we provide can be undermined if our patients don't have a quality, safe place to live,” Hiscock said.

Collaborating to keep people out of the hospital

M Health Fairview recognizes that screening for social determinants of health is only the first step. We are committed to ensuring that patients have a safe and healthy home environment for their medical treatments to be effective.

When people are cleared to leave the hospital, they often need time to recover. For people experiencing homelessness, healing might not be their top priority.

“Patients may be able to perform their activities of daily living and officially be ready for discharge, but they're not ready to return to a shelter, their car, or to the streets,” Hiscock said. “This wouldn't result in a good outcome, and we’d likely see them back.”

In these cases, M Health Fairview partners with Our Saviour’s Community Services in Minneapolis where a nurse provides follow-up care and social workers can help with community resources, patient advocacy, and plans for longer term housing.

Advocating for safe housing

For more than two years, the M Health Fairview Center for Community Health Equity has been building and leading initiatives to address the link between housing and health through several advocacy initiatives.

• The health system's Community Advancement team leads the advocacy committee of Healthcare for Housing, a cohort developed from the Housing and Health Equity Fellows program sponsored by the Greater MN Housing Fund, which is identifying housing policies that health organizations can advocate.
• Fairview participated in Homeless Day on the Hill, advocating for solutions to end homelessness alongside the Minnesota Coalition for the Homeless.
• Additionally, Fairview is a member of the GroundBreak Coalition, working toward racial equity, climate readiness, and creating homeownership and business opportunities for BIPOC communities. Fairview also supports federal housing program funding and reforms, particularly benefiting rural, Tribal, and low-income households.
• Fairview is also advocating for more transitional care facilities for people who need some assistance during recovery, but not the high-level of care provided in a hospital. The shortage of transitional care facilities impacts the entire community, as hospitals in Minnesota often operate at capacity, with patients staying longer than necessary due to a lack of housing and transitional care. This shortage limits the availability of beds for those in need of critical care.

Building affordable housing

In October 2023, teams from across the system participated in the annual M Health Fairview Build Week with Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity, contributing 456 volunteer hours. Employees worked on a new construction single-family house on St. Paul’s East Side. M Heath Fairview has committed to helping again later this year.

Most recently, Fairview was a sponsor for the 2024 Carter Work Project with Habitat for Humanity. Our teams provided medical care at the project on St. Paul's East Side, Twin Cities Habitat's largest-ever development.