Housing Assistance Clients Get Help With Housing and Healthcare Through MassHealth Program

Struggling with health issues is hard enough, but dealing with chronic pain and disease while experiencing housing insecurity can exacerbate existing health conditions. Housing instability has been shown to negatively affect physical health, according to the Healthy People 2030 initiative. That’s where a state program linking housing service providers like Housing Assistance to local health providers comes in.

Through the MassHealth Flexible Services Program, more than a dozen housing organizations around the state, including Housing Assistance, collaborate with healthcare providers with the goal of improving both participants’ health and their housing stability

The idea is one-stop shopping: Clients are referred to Housing Assistance through an Accountable Care Organization (ACO), such as the Community Health Center of Cape Cod as opposed to finding out about Housing Assistance through another social service organization or by word-of-mouth.

Community health care workers are available at participating health centers throughout the Cape and are able to screen a member’s housing instability and insurance to see if they are an appropriate referral for our program. Members on Mass Health are encouraged to talk to their doctors or community health center to see what options or supportive services would be available to them navigate their housing crisis continued on next page