The Case of Cook County’s Flexible Housing Pool

Increasingly, healthcare organizations, health plans, and state Medicaid agencies are recognizing the role broader social issues (e.g. housing affordability and homelessness) have on community health. Within Cook County, Illinois, nearly 9,000 people are without a stable house each night. Lack of housing diminishes an individual’s ability to achieve optimal health and has significant societal impacts. People experiencing homelessness have more difficulty obtaining primary care, often relying on high-cost emergency department visits and inpatient stays. 

The AHE Illinois Learning Collaborative (LC) team recognizes the importance of acknowledging this context and factored it into their program which works at the intersection of the housing and health sector.

To read more about the Illinois Learning Collaborative team and their initiative, please click here.