Homelessness is a risk factor for both poor health and early death. If a person becomes homeless, their existing health conditions are more likely to worsen, and they are less likely to seek necessary health care compared to those who are not experiencing homelessness. This can lead to acute and more frequent use of health services, including through emergency department visits and inpatient hospitalization.

CalAIM — California’s Medi-Cal reform effort — presents new opportunities for managed care plans (MCPs) to better address the health and housing needs of their members. To take advantage of these opportunities, MCPs need to establish a housing data strategy that supports efforts to understand members’ housing status and assist members experiencing or at risk of homelessness. However, there is no standardized way for MCPs to use data to determine member housing status, and common measure sets that plans report on do not typically measure housing status or outcomes.

This guide offers guidance for MCPs looking to better understand the housing status of their members through data and how to use these data to meet the housing and health needs of members experiencing housing instability. A companion matrix, Data Sources for Determining Members’ Housing and Homelessness Status, provides detailed information on data sources that Medi-Cal MCPs can use to develop an efficient housing data strategy. While developed for the California context, this guide and companion matrix can inform other states seeking to improve services for individuals experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity.

These tools are a product of Partnerships for Action: California Health Care & Homelessness Learning Collaborative, led by the Center for Health Care Strategies with support from the California Health Care Foundation.