The Link Between Affordable Housing and Health

Flat River Outreach Ministries is offering a series of articles highlighting the need for affordable housing in the community.

This week, Hunter Pham, MD — a Flat River Outreach Ministries (FROM) board member and Corewell Health Emergency Medicine Resident Physician — shares how he’s seen affordable housing impact a person’s overall health.

Though very early in my career in the emergency department, I have no shortage of experience with patients struggling to find affordable housing.

Living out of cars, in public parks, or in homeless shelters takes a toll on the human body, which can lead to more frequent visits to, and utilization of, the emergency department resources than those with stable housing.

Relieving stress and time loss related to unstable housing frees people to focus on preventative medicine. Evidence exists for this improvement of health access with the access of affordable housing.

Improved access to healthcare and preventative medicine reduces the frequency of visits to emergency departments, where examinations, diagnostics and treatments are far more expensive than those outside the emergency department.

Ultimately, through these means as well as the reduction of adverse exposures associated with homelessness, the health of that person – or family – is directly improved. Chronic diseases are better managed, environmental exposures like extreme cold and heat are mitigated, mental health is significantly improved, and likelihood of substance use decreases.

Working at Butterworth Hospital in Grand Rapids, I can personally attest to the risks of frostbite from living outside of warm shelters, soft tissue infection from lack of access to sanitation, pulmonary infection from poor living conditions, and exacerbated mental illness and suicidality from housing uncertainty.

Unfortunately, lack of access to affordable housing does not only impact adults. Children suffer alongside their parents, and the loss of good childhood years from uncertain housing translates directly into worsened outcomes as adults. Frequent moves during childhood is strongly associated with the development of mental illness later in life. Additionally, rates of teen pregnancy and teenage drug use are associated with housing uncertainty. With these risks come an adult perpetuation of housing uncertainty.

Additionally, the Center for Housing Policy released, in 2007, a list of nine benefits from affordable housing:

1. Free up family resources for nutritious food and health care expenditures.
2. Reduce stress and related adverse health outcomes.
3. Homeownership may contribute to health improvements by fostering greater self-esteem, increased residential stability, and an increased sense of security and control over one’s physical environment.
4. Reduce health problems associated with poor quality housing by limiting exposure to allergens, neurotoxins, and other dangers.
5. Improve health outcomes for individuals with chronic illnesses and disabilities, and the elderly, by providing a stable and efficient platform for the ongoing delivery of health care and other necessary services.
6. By providing families with access to neighborhoods of opportunity, certain affordable housing strategies can reduce stress, increase access to amenities, and generate important health benefits.
7. By alleviating crowding, affordable housing can reduce exposure to stressors and infectious disease, leading to improvements in physical and mental health.
8. By allowing victims of domestic violence to escape abusive homes, affordable housing can lead to improvements in mental health and physical safety.
9. Use of “green building” and “transit-oriented development” strategies can lower exposure to pollutants by improving the energy efficiency of homes and reducing reliance on personal vehicles.

In light of the overwhelming evidence, both academic and firsthand, the connection between affordable housing and improved health outcomes is undeniable.

The benefits extend far beyond shelter—they touch every facet of well-being, from physical safety to mental stability, from childhood development to chronic disease management.

As a healthcare provider and community member, I see the value of affordable housing not just as a moral imperative, but as a public health necessity. Organizations like Flat River Outreach Ministries are not only providing homes—they are cultivating healthier, more stable futures. Supporting affordable housing is not simply an act of charity: it is an investment in the collective health of our community.

If you want to be a part of making affordable housing possible in Lowell, visit the FROM website and consider donating to the Building Foundations, Building Hope campaign.