Rent Supplements and Mental Health Support Improve Housing Stability for Homeless Adults

Mar 03, 2015 EST

Homelessness affects over 150,000 adults in Canada and over 1.5 million Americans. A new study in the March 3 issue of JAMA compares the use of scattered-site supportive housing using rent supplements and case management services to traditional treatment and transitional housing as a way to reduce homelessness. Among 1,200 homeless individuals from four large cities across Canada, researchers gave about half rent supplements and intensive mental health support, while others received routine services from their communities. The study reports that individuals receiving the rent supplements and case management services had greater success in achieving stable housing, although their overall quality of life did not improve.