News & Resources
Home on the Mind: The Relationship Between Mental Health and Housing
In our ongoing effort to tackle homelessness in Chester County grasping the connection between mental health and homelessness is crucial for fostering a community where every individual can thrive. Read on to learn more about how you can make a difference.
In our ongoing effort to tackle homelessness in Chester County, grasping the connection between mental health and homelessness is crucial for fostering a community where every individual can thrive.
Dispelling Myths and Embracing Reality
The relationship between mental health and homelessness is often misunderstood, leading to stigma and misconceptions. As Dr. Deborah K. Padgett, a Professor at New York University, highlights, the journey from mental health challenges to homelessness is often paved with systemic inadequacies, including the scarcity of community support for those with serious mental illness. Individuals experiencing homelessness and mental illness represent a minority – according to one Point-In-Time count in 2022, only 21% of those experiencing homelessness reported having a serious mental illness. However, the tie between mental illness and homelessness looms large in public perceptions.
Hope in Housing First
In the realm of homelessness and mental health, housing stands as a beacon of stability amidst turbulent waters. Housing is more than just a roof over one's head; it's a sanctuary where individuals can reclaim their dignity, autonomy, and sense of belonging. The Housing First approach, championed by experts like Padgett, offers a transformative paradigm shift where the immediacy of secure housing is coupled with the tailored scaffolding of support services. In other words, Housing First recognizes that stable housing is not a reward for recovery, but rather a prerequisite for it.
The Challenge of Stigma
One prevalent barrier faced by communities is the "Not In My Backyard" or NIMBY mentality, hindering efforts to address mental health and homelessness. Overcoming stigma, supporting treatment adherence, and ensuring the availability of peer support services are among the challenges we must confront. Yet, with organizations like the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and initiatives like the Early Psychosis Intervention Network, communities are taking strides towards inclusivity and support.
Voices of Resilience
Another important consideration is the role of individuals with lived experience. Peer support services provided by those who have walked similar paths can be a beacon of hope for those navigating mental health challenges during and following homelessness. For example, Peer Recovery Support Specialists (PSPs) engage their peers and assist them in managing recovery efforts, and are empowered to seek support that meet their peers’ specific needs.. By amplifying their voices and experiences, we not only dismantle stereotypes but also pave the way for a more compassionate and understanding society.
Additional Peer Support Resources
How You Can Help
As we reflect on the intertwined nature of mental health and homelessness, it's clear that solutions require a collective effort rooted in empathy and driven by a shared commitment to uplift every member of our community. Please consider supporting people with lived experience today by donating to the Chester County Partnership to End Homelessness’ Lived Experience Advisory Board.
Housing and Homes
People’s homes can have a major impact on their health and well-being. Healthy People 2030 focuses on reducing health and safety risks in homes.
Southeastern Pennsylvania Community Health Needs Assessment
A group of local hospitals and health systems collaborated on the Southeastern Pennsylvania Community Health Needs Assessment, with specific focus on Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia Counties, to continue collaboration and provide opportunities to expand and improve upon the last assessment process. Participants recognize this assessment as an important part of how health systems, multi-sector partners, and communities work together to achieve meaningful and positive community change.
Homelessness and Public Health: A Focus on Strategies and Solutions
This report published in the National Library of Medicine addresses many of these issues in the context of public health and explore the public health implications and potential solutions to homelessness, focusing on contemporary and emerging research and innovative strategies, and highlighting best practices to address homelessness among key populations.
Housing and Health: A Roadmap for the Future
In this report, the American Hospital Association shares data on the connection between health and housing stability. To be physically and mentally healthy, individuals need a safe, stable place to sleep at night. Housing-insecure individuals have worse health status and outcomes than those in stable housing.
National Health Care for the Homeless Homelessness & Health: Whats the Connection?
People who are homeless have higher rates of illness and die on average 12 years sooner than the general U.S. population. Homelessness can take many forms, with people living on the streets, in encampments or shelters, in transitional housing programs, or doubled up with family and friends. While the federal government reports 1.5 million people a year experience homelessness, other estimates find up to twice this number of people are actually without housing in any given year. The connection between housing and homelessness is generally intuitive, but the strong link between health and homelessness is often overlooked. This fact sheet outlines how health and homelessness are intertwined—and why housing is health care.
People who are homeless have higher rates of illness and die on average 12 years sooner than the general U.S. population. Homelessness can take many forms, with people living on the streets, in encampments or shelters, in transitional housing programs, or doubled up with family and friends. While the federal government reports 1.5 million people a year experience homelessness, other estimates find up to twice this number of people are actually without housing in any given year. The connection between housing and homelessness is generally intuitive, but the strong link between health and homelessness is often overlooked. This fact sheet outlines how health and homelessness are intertwined—and why housing is health care.
Integrate Health Care
The U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness outlines the importance of integrated health care for people experiencing homelessness, as well as strategies for integration and better access to care.