The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) released the HRSA 2019-2020 Health Equity Report: Special Feature on Housing and Health Inequalities on October 14, 2020. The report indicates substantial progress has been made nationally for all Americans in vital indicators including life expectancy, cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, and influenza and pneumonia; while health inequities between population groups and geographic areas persist.
Findings highlighted in the report include:
- A special feature on housing and health inequalities in the United States that shows the impact of housing status and housing conditions on population health.
- Life expectancy for all Americans increased from 68.2 years in 1950 to 78.6 years in 2017, but for American Indians/Alaska Natives and non-Hispanic Blacks life expectancy was 74.3 and 76.0 years respectively in 2017.
- Infant mortality rates in the U.S. decreased overall from 6.9 per 1000 live births in 2000 to 5.8 in 2017.
- In 2017, 86 percent of HRSA’s Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program clients were virally suppressed, up from 70 percent in 2010, and exceeding the national average of 57 percent. Viral suppression rates are significantly lower among Blacks, American Indians and Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders compared with non-Hispanic Whites.
- Homeless patients (28.0 percent) are significantly more likely to report serious psychological distress than community health center patients (14.0 percent) and public housing primary care center patients (16.0 percent).
- Children living in subsidized housing units are 4 times more likely to be in fair/poor health than those living in owner-occupied homes (4.4 percent vs. 1.1 percent).
The full report can be viewed at here.
