Research and News Roundup:
November 2023

This blog is the first of a monthly blog series that will feature a curated list of recent news and research related to housing instability, homelessness, and affordable housing. Together, these topics provide insights on the full housing continuum and are intended to keep community stakeholders informed about emergent research, promising practices, and innovative solutions related to housing instability and homelessness.

This month’s Research and News Roundup features an innovative approach to using utility payments to predict first-time homelessness; opportunities and resources to increase affordable housing by converting commercial properties; and proposed expansion of the Healthy Opportunities Pilot, a first of its kind program that provides non-medical interventions that address housing instability and other social determinants of health (SDOH) to Medicaid participants.

HOUSING INSTABILITY

Utility Payment History Identified as Possible Predictor of First-Time Homelessness

Recent research published in PLOS One examines the use of utility payments to predict first-time homelessness. The researchers used deidentified utility data (electricity, natural gas, water, sewage, garbage) and Homeless Management Information System data to estimate and verify whether a household was within 12 months of experiencing first-time homelessness.  While most programs and research focus on people already experiencing homelessness, some research suggests that predicting and preventing homelessness is more cost-effective and enables proactive intervention. Past research on risk of homelessness has relied on healthcare or criminal justice data, however, these data often have significant barriers to use. Utility billing data is widely available, offers consistent information on payment history that can be compared across geographies, and is reported on a monthly basis. This study concluded that utility payment histories are a potentially reliable predictor of first-time homelessness. The models developed in the study could serve as an effective initial screening tool to identify, at the population level, those most at risk of experiencing homelessness. Homeless prevention programs could use these data to reach out to identified households to gather additional screening information, encourage them to apply for prevention assistance, and provide additional referrals based on the household’s unique needs.

HOMELESSNESS

Healthy Opportunities Program Expansion Request

On October 31, 2023, Governor Roy Cooper submitted a request to renew the North Carolina Medicaid Reform Section 1115 Demonstration Project to the United States Department of Health and Human Services . This renewal request includes expansion and refinement of the Health Opportunities Pilot, the first comprehensive program in the United States to provide evidence-based, non-medical interventions related to housing and other social determinants of health. The Healthy Opportunities Pilot (HOP) launched in March 2022 and targeted 3 geographic regions totaling 33 counties. To date, the program has served 13,612 participants and provided 146,485 services. The Demonstration Project renewal requests that the HOP program be expanded statewide. With the upcoming implementation of Medicaid Expansion, an estimated 3.5 million people in the State of North Carolina will be eligible for Medicaid. To be eligible for HOP, they must also have at least one qualifying physical or behavioral health condition and one qualifying social risk factor. Housing services offered through HOP include housing navigation, support, and sustaining services; inspection for housing safety and quality; housing move-in support; essential utility set-up; home remediation services; security deposits and first month’s rent; home furnishing; and home accessibility and safety modifications. The demonstration renewal request includes these services and the addition of six months of rental or mortgage assistance (including payment of arrears) for high-needs participants.

AFFORDABLE HOUSING

Opportunities And Resources To Increase Affordable Housing By Converting Commercial Properties

Several recent actions by the federal government support the conversion of underutilized commercial buildings with high vacancy rates into residential spaces. These opportunities are outlined in the Commercial to Residential Conversions Guidebook which highlights grants to cover pre-development, construction, and acquisition, below market loans, and land dispositions that can reduce development costs. Not only has the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) released new guidance on how Community Development Block Grants (CBDG) can be used for acquisition and conversion of commercial properties; they also issued a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO ) for the Pathways to Remove Obstacles to Housing Program (PRO Housing) grant which provides technical assistance to communities to support the removal of barriers to affordable housing such as challenges in preserving housing stock and outdated zoning and land use policies. The City of Charlotte submitted an application to be considered for this grant. The Department of Transportation has released guidance on how Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation (TIFIA) and Railroad Rehabilitation Improvement Financing (RRIF) programs can be used to finance housing development and conversion near transportation at below market interest rates. The guidance also highlights new capabilities for transit agencies to transfer land no longer needed for transportation to governments and developers at no-cost so it can be used for affordable housing. In addition, the General Services Administration (GSA) will begin promoting the sale of surplus federal properties that could be used for affordable housing.