HUD releases first evaluation of Supportive Services Demonstration

Posted on December 16, 2020 by Libbie Chapuran

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) research arm released the first of three evaluation reports of the Integrated Wellness in Supportive Housing (IWISH) demonstration program, which funds a full-time resident wellness director and part-time wellness nurse to work in HUD-assisted housing communities serving older adults. Launched in 2017, the three-year demonstration program aims to determine whether a well-funded, planned model of supportive services coordination in HUD-assisted senior housing provides compelling benefits.

Through the demonstration, the wellness director and nurse proactively engage with residents and implement strategies for coordinating services to help meet residents’ needs. The 3-year demonstration was launched in 2017 and is being implemented in HUD-assisted multifamily properties in California, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, and South Carolina, including a number of LeadingAge members.

As the first of three demonstration reports planned by the agency, the report describes the baseline characteristics of the residents at demonstration properties; it also describes the first 18 months of IWISH implementation. Specifically, the evaluation compares housing stability and healthcare utilization of residents living in 40 properties that implement IWISH with outcomes for residents living in 84 similar properties that do not implement IWISH.

If the evaluations demonstrate effectiveness, it is hoped that HUD will make additional funding available for Wellness Directors and Wellness Nurses in HUD properties.