CoC Program Special NOFO Digest: Leveraging Health Care Resources This information was originally distributed via HUD.gov. HUD Exchange is redistributing the information for awareness. On June 22, 2022, the Continuum of Care (CoC) Program Supplemental Funding Opportunity to Address Unsheltered and Rural Homelessness (Special Notification of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)) was announced. This is a first-of-its-kind opportunity to address unsheltered homelessness and homeless encampments, and it includes funds set aside to address homelessness in rural communities. Applications for the Unsheltered and Rural Homelessness NOFO must be submitted no later than October 20, 2022, at 8:00 PM EDT. To support communities in developing their plans to address rural and unsheltered homelessness; existing Technical Assistance (TA) and other resources through a series of listserv messages. View all CoC Program Special NOFO Digests. Leveraging Health Care Resources In their Integrate Health Care blo

CoC Program Special NOFO Digest: Leveraging Health Care Resources

This information was originally distributed via HUD.gov. HUD Exchange is redistributing the information for awareness.

On June 22, 2022, the Continuum of Care (CoC) Program Supplemental Funding Opportunity to Address Unsheltered and Rural Homelessness (Special Notification of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)) was announced. This is a first-of-its-kind opportunity to address unsheltered homelessness and homeless encampments, and it includes funds set aside to address homelessness in rural communities.

Applications for the Unsheltered and Rural Homelessness NOFO must be submitted no later than October 20, 2022, at 8:00 PM EDT.

To support communities in developing their plans to address rural and unsheltered homelessness; existing Technical Assistance (TA) and other resources through a series of listserv messages.

View all CoC Program Special NOFO Digests.

Leveraging Health Care Resources

In their Integrate Health Care blog from August 2018, the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) states that people experiencing homelessness often have serious and complex health challenges, including mental health problems and substance use disorders, chronic medical conditions like diabetes and hypertension, and infectious diseases like HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis C, and tuberculosis. Further, research from the California Policy Lab finds that these health challenges are particularly severe for people experiencing unsheltered homelessness. Those experiencing unsheltered homelessness were 25 times as likely to report having all three of the following conditions concurrently when compared to their sheltered peers: physical health condition, mental health condition, and substance abuse condition. Ensuring access to quality health care must be a part of a community’s work to end homelessness.

Combining health care resources with safe, affordable, and accessible housing improves health outcomes for people experiencing homelessness, improves their quality of life, and has the added benefit of reducing costs in the healthcare system. Health care services are more effective when a patient is stably housed, and in turn, maintaining housing is more likely if proper health care services are delivered. This is why leveraging healthcare services to support people with histories of homelessness is so important.

The COVID-19 pandemic has allowed many communities to expand their partnerships with healthcare organizations, including public health. This collaboration has built a solid foundation to continue to grow these partnerships. Examples of organizations that can help you leverage healthcare resources include:

  • Health Care for the Homeless (HCH) providers
  • Mental health and recovery treatment programs
  • Local hospitals
  • State and local health departments

When determining which organizations you should engage, it is also important to include people with lived experience in discussions on what health care partnerships and resources are needed at the table.

Resource List

The following resources provide further guidance as you work to leverage health care resources in your homeless system:

For additional resources, visit the CoC Program Unsheltered and Rural Homelessness NOFO page on the HUD Exchange.

Questions?

For questions about the Special NOFO, please email [email protected].

SNAPS Mailing List Subscription

Stay up to date on HUD’s SNAPS news and updates for grantees and interested stakeholders:

Learn more about SNAPS mailing lists.

This information was originally distributed via HUD.gov. HUD Exchange is redistributing the information for awareness.

On June 22, 2022, the Continuum of Care (CoC) Program Supplemental Funding Opportunity to Address Unsheltered and Rural Homelessness (Special Notification of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)) was announced. This is a first-of-its-kind opportunity to address unsheltered homelessness and homeless encampments, and it includes funds set aside to address homelessness in rural communities.

Applications for the Unsheltered and Rural Homelessness NOFO must be submitted no later than October 20, 2022, at 8:00 PM EDT.

To support communities in developing their plans to address rural and unsheltered homelessness; existing Technical Assistance (TA) and other resources through a series of listserv messages.

View all CoC Program Special NOFO Digests.

Leveraging Health Care Resources

In their Integrate Health Care blog from August 2018, the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) states that people experiencing homelessness often have serious and complex health challenges, including mental health problems and substance use disorders, chronic medical conditions like diabetes and hypertension, and infectious diseases like HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis C, and tuberculosis. Further, research from the California Policy Lab finds that these health challenges are particularly severe for people experiencing unsheltered homelessness. Those experiencing unsheltered homelessness were 25 times as likely to report having all three of the following conditions concurrently when compared to their sheltered peers: physical health condition, mental health condition, and substance abuse condition. Ensuring access to quality health care must be a part of a community’s work to end homelessness.

Combining health care resources with safe, affordable, and accessible housing improves health outcomes for people experiencing homelessness, improves their quality of life, and has the added benefit of reducing costs in the healthcare system. Health care services are more effective when a patient is stably housed, and in turn, maintaining housing is more likely if proper health care services are delivered. This is why leveraging healthcare services to support people with histories of homelessness is so important.

The COVID-19 pandemic has allowed many communities to expand their partnerships with healthcare organizations, including public health. This collaboration has built a solid foundation to continue to grow these partnerships. Examples of organizations that can help you leverage healthcare resources include:

  • Health Care for the Homeless (HCH) providers
  • Mental health and recovery treatment programs
  • Local hospitals
  • State and local health departments

When determining which organizations you should engage, it is also important to include people with lived experience in discussions on what health care partnerships and resources are needed at the table.

Resource List

The following resources provide further guidance as you work to leverage health care resources in your homeless system:

For additional resources, visit the CoC Program Unsheltered and Rural Homelessness NOFO page on the HUD Exchange.

Questions?

For questions about the Special NOFO, please email [email protected].

SNAPS Mailing List Subscription

Stay up to date on HUD’s SNAPS news and updates for grantees and interested stakeholders:

Learn more about SNAPS mailing lists.