Affordable and Accessible Housing for Vulnerable Older Adults and People with Disabilities Living in the Community: A Workshop

THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES OF SCIENCES, ENGINEERING, AND MEDICINE

Affordable and Accessible Housing for Vulnerable Older Adults and People with Disabilities 
Living in the Community
A Workshop

Co-hosted by the Forum on Aging, Disability and Independence, and 
the Roundtable on the Promotion of Health Equity and the Elimination of Health Disparities

Background Information

Accessible, affordable housing can be a platform for enabling community living, maximizing independence, and promoting positive health outcomes for vulnerable populations. The affordability and availability of this housing, however, is often a major barrier, particularly in communities of color and other vulnerable populations. Housing is a critical social determinant of health, particularly for vulnerable populations, and has important effects on health outcomes, though this relationship is under-investigated. The nation also faces an imbalance between the supply of, and demand for, affordable housing for low-income older adults and people living with disabilities, and this imbalance will grow over the coming years given the population shifts leading to more older adults and people living with disabilities. 

Workshop Objectives
This one-day public workshop will explore the role of housing as a social determinant of health for older adults and people with disabilities, particularly among people of color and low income groups. Subject matter experts will be invited to present and participate in discussions on topics surrounding the affordability, availability, and importance of housing for these populations. The objectives of the workshop are to:

• Summarize the state of the knowledge on housing as a social determinant of health and as a platform for health and independence for older adults and individuals with disabilities, particularly among people of color.

• Highlight successful and promising collaborations to provide affordable and accessible housing, with consideration for differences between rural, suburban, and urban settings. 

• Explore sustainable and scalable strategies, policies, and practices to support linking affordable housing with services to benefit health and optimize independence.

• Identify data needs and research gaps to measure effectiveness of models of housing with supportive services for older adults and individuals with disabilities, particularly among people of color.

Register Here!

Agenda - Coming Soon!
National Academy of Sciences Building
2101 Constitution Avenue NW, Room 120
Washington, DC 20418

December 12, 2016
8:30am-5:15pm