- S J Newman: Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Housing policy can influence home-based care in three ways: through financing mechanisms; through regulations and statutes; and through formal provisions and informal mores that affect the coordination of housing and health policies. Housing policy pertaining to the subsidized housing stock has begun to take steps to accommodate special population needs, including the need for home-based, long-term-care assistance. But gaps remain in the physical adequacy and safety of housing units and neighborhoods of the unsubsidized stock, which may compromise the ability to deliver home-based care. Unfortunately, little research has been done on the ways in which housing, neighborhood conditions, and home-based care are interrelated. Both this lack of knowledge and the absence of a system for coordinating housing with health policy and practice are impediments to a coherent housing policy that fosters home-based care access, quality, and choice.