Housing First Is Associated with Reduced Use of Emergency Medical Services

摘要

ObjectiveChronically homeless adults with severe alcohol problems are disproportionately burdened with healthcare problems and are high utilizers of emergency medical services (EMS). Single-site Housing First (HF), which provides immediate, permanent, low-barrier, nonabstinence-based, supportive housing, has been associated with reduced publicly funded service utilization. The aims of the current study were to determine whether time spent in single-site HF predicted decreases in EMS contacts 2 years subsequent to single-site HF move-in, and to describe medical conditions and injuries associated with EMS contacts in a sample of chronically homeless individuals with severe alcohol problems.