The HRSA Health Center (330(e)) program provides primary health services to medically underserved populations, including people experiencing homelessness, regardless of their ability to pay. While Health Care for the Homeless (HCH, 330(h)) health centers are required to serve people experiencing homelessness, all health centers can serve unstably housed patients. This is particularly important to consider in the 33% of US cities with populations of 100,000 or more that lack an HCH health center. But many “non-HCH” health centers report scarcely any unhoused patients: 39% reported 50 or fewer
and 92 reported zero. This is partly due to a lack of screening for housing status and/or care that is not tailored to the specific challenges people experiencing homelessness may face.
Filling the HCH Gap: Case Studies of Non-HCH Health Centers Serving People Experiencing Homelessness
Categories:
Assessment and Intake, Best Practices, Clinical Practice, Homeless Services