At Boston Medical Center, 25 percent of patients admitted to the hospital are homeless, and even more live in unsafe places or are at risk of being evicted; conditions that research shows can exacerbate health problems. Children’s HealthWatch data from BMC’s pediatric Emergency Department shows that one in three families are housing insecure, meaning they have unstable housing or are in jeopardy of eviction.

Boston Medical Center is investing $6.5 million over five years to support a wide range of affordable housing initiatives, in an innovation lab approach that will be studied closely to determine the best ways that health care systems can improve both community and patient level health and reduce medical costs by addressing homelessness and housing insecurity.

In this inspiring segment, Thea James, MD, and Megan Sandel, MD, MPH, discuss a significant new initiative to tackle one of their patients’ most daunting problems; a lack of stable housing.