New report from Housing LIN and Southampton Council identifies cost benefits of housing with care

The Housing Learning and Improvement Network (Housing LIN) and Southampton City Council have published the results of a study that highlights the health care system benefits of housing with care.

The study found benefits ranging from improvements to residents’ quality of life, reductions in the use of health services and associated resources, and significant cost-benefits for the health system from the use of housing with care services.

Among the findings were benefits to the health care system in the form of:

• Reductions in the number of GP visits (by housing with care residents).
• Reductions in the number of community health nurse visits (amongst housing with care residents).
• Reductions in the number of non-elective admissions to hospital (by housing with care residents).
• Reductions in length of stay and delayed discharges from hospital (amongst housing with care residents).
• Reductions in ambulance call outs, typically linked to reduced incidence of falls (amongst housing with care residents).
• It is estimated that for each person living in the housing with care settings, the financial benefit to NHS is approximately £2,000 per person per annum (calculated as a cost benefit to the health care system)

Dorota Strzelecka, Southampton City Council, said:

“This report is one of the few publications seeking to understand and quantify the benefits of housing with care on the health care economy. It measures the impacts on community health and GP services as well as the hospitals, and it explores housing with care’s place in the wider health and social care system. It will be of particular relevance to organisations wishing to develop and broaden partnership working between health and housing.”

Jeremy Porteus, Chief Executive of the Housing LIN, said:

“This report provides an evidence base which shows conclusive links between health and housing. The findings of this report apply to all local care and social health economies, and we look forward to working with other organisations in order to improve the links between care provision, health, and housing”.