In an effort to combat the increasing numbers of people experiencing homelessness in Utah, leaders in the continuum discussed options to improve the system at the 2024 Utah State of Reform Health Policy Conference last month. Tyler Riedesel, housing insecure population epidemiologist at the Utah Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), said that formal … Read more
The Utah Executive Appropriations Committee (EAC) released its draft budget for the 2025 fiscal year, and the allocated funding for affordable housing and homeless services is significantly less than Gov. Spencer Cox’s budget recommendation. In December, Cox released his budget recommendations, which allocated $45.5 million for affordable housing, $193 million for alleviating homelessness, and $150 … Read more
At the 2023 Minnesota State of Reform Health Policy Conference, leaders met to discuss how the state is using funding dedicated to addressing the housing crisis and homelessness. Blair Harrison, senior policy director for population health and social care at UnitedHealthcare Community and State, noted how much the state’s housing landscape has changed in the … Read more
While data trends show that cold-related deaths increased from 2002 to 2019, the state has increased funding for several initiatives to assist Minnesota youth who are experiencing or are at risk of experiencing homelessness. Individuals lose body heat faster than it can be produced when exposed to cold temperatures, which can lead to cold-related illnesses … Read more
Washington has a housing crisis that will require a wide variety of homes to be built for residents representing various income levels. The Washington State Department of Commerce projects a need to add 1.1 million homes over the next 20 years, and more than half of them need to be affordable for residents at the … Read more
At the 2023 Southern California State of Reform Health Policy conference, leaders discussed a key issue facing both the state of California and the entire country—permanent and affordable housing. Earlier this year, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors declared a state of emergency to accelerate resources to individuals experiencing homelessness. A primary issue contributing … Read more
University of Washington (UW) researchers recently interviewed individuals who use fentanyl in an attempt to gather insight to help address the public health crisis spurred by the drug. Opioid overdose deaths in Washington continue to rise and are primarily driven by unregulated fentanyl. The opioid overdose death rate in the state more than doubled from … Read more
Earlier this year, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors declared a state of emergency to accelerate resources to individuals experiencing homelessness. While the state continues to scramble to address this growing issue, Medi-Cal managed care plans (MCPs) Health Net and LA Care Health Plan are investing $114 million over the next few years to … Read more
As part of California’s work to address serious mental illness and substance use disorder, which sometimes leads to individuals becoming unhoused, the CARE Court initiative, which stands for Community Assistance, Recovery, and Empowerment, connects individuals with a court-ordered care plan and supporter for up to 24 months. CEO of the California Council of Community Behavioral … Read more
San Diego County is working to address tuberculosis (TB) exposures at several program sites of Father Joe’s Villages, an organization that works to support the homeless population. Dates of potential TB exposures range from Jan. 14th to March 3rd. Father Joe’s Villages told State of Reform that from January to March, a client with an … Read more