학술논문

Beyond Housing for Health: Using Flexible Funds to Improve Maternal and Child Health.
Document Type
Article
Source
Journal of Urban Health. Dec2022, Vol. 99 Issue 6, p1027-1032. 6p. 1 Chart.
Subject
*CHILDREN'S health
*HOUSING stability
*MATERNAL health
*HIGH-risk pregnancy
*FAMILY stability
Language
ISSN
1099-3460
Abstract
Upstreaming Housing for Health (UHfH) was a pilot program that aimed to improve housing stability and reduce health inequities among people experiencing high-risk pregnancies and their infants. It served 50 families from 2019 to 2020. One critical component of UHfH was an innovative flexible fund, which was originally designed to address housing stability (e.g., rent arrears) but expanded its scope to address material needs that promoted family stability within the context of their housing situation (e.g., housing safety or maternal-infant health while in shelter). Seventy-six percent of families accessed flexible funds for items such as rental assistance, cribs, and breast pumps, with average financial support of $1343 (standard deviation = $625). The flexible fund is an example of a cash transfer policy. Such policies have shown to positively impact family health and well-being in the USA and internationally. Similar funding should be considered as part of future programming to reduce housing instability and homelessness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]