Health and Economic Impacts of Stable Housing Provision for Older Adults

What are the health outcomes and costs associated with provision of stable housing to older adults experiencing homelessness?This economic evaluation, including 1000 adults aged 55 years and older, found that stable housing was associated with reduced 5-year mortality (from 218 to 184 deaths) and increased lifetime quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs; 1.89 years per person), with a housing cost of $80 655 per year gained. Housing provision achieved substantial value compared with the commonly used willingness-to-pay threshold of $100 000 per QALY gained among both the older and a comparison cohort of younger adults (18 to 54 years old).Permanent supportive housing for older adults experiencing homelessness can reduce costs and save lives.

Corresponding Author: Varun Gande, BS, Department of Management Science and Engineering, Stanford University, 475 Via Ortega, Stanford, CA 94305 (vg262@stanford.edu).

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