We are not medical professionals here at ShelterCare - no MDs or LPNs on our payroll. Nevertheless, what we prescribe may be the best medicine for those we serve: Housing! Once considered, the relationship between housing and health is obvious. Once housed, individuals have a safe place to sleep, to bathe, and to eat. There is refrigeration for medications, a clock to remind one of appointments, a neighborhood that provides identity and community. The benefits of simply having a place to call home enhances the healing process for many physical, mental, spiritual and social ailments. On the flip side, published research documents consequences of losing a home. There is a measurable association between a loss of one’s home and higher body mass index, higher systolic blood pressure, a greater frequency of psychological distress, a higher number of positive depression screens and self-reported anxiety attacks, higher rates of domestic violence, suicide attempts, emergency room visits, and a decreased engagement with primary care where prevention and management of illness can happen. Our experience here at ShelterCare suggests that housing, as a prescription for improved health, should be added to the catalogue of social solutions for public health problems.
Susan Ban
Executive Director
