Neely, Brittney
(2017)
Unstable housing among persons living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA): A review of the literature and cost comparison of organizations that may provide shelter and related services.
Master's Thesis, University of Pittsburgh.
(Unpublished)
Abstract
Stable housing is imperative for the health and well-being of persons living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). However, housing instability remains prevalent among this population due to a range of socioecological factors. This paper provides a review of the relevant literature and a cost comparison of organizations that provide shelter and related services in Pittsburgh, PA. It was hypothesized that the comparator organization, The Open Door, Inc., provides housing services for PLWHA at a lower per-night, per-person cost when compared to alternative organizations that provide non-permanent housing. Organizations targeted for data collection were shelters, temporary/transitional housing programs, correctional facilities, hospitals/medical facilities, psychological/behavioral health facilities, and substance use rehabilitation facilities within the city of Pittsburgh. Data collection was completed through website searches, review of non-profit profiles on www.guidestar.org, and contact with staff members of participating organizations. Data sets were gathered and/or confirmed for 33 organizations. Findings indicate that residential programs charge served individuals no or nominal per-night, per-person fees, with annual implementation costs reported separately. The $12.50 nightly rate charged to the client by The Open Door is comparable to other transitional housing programs. Hospitals and correctional facilities report substantially higher per-night, per-person room and board rates that are inclusive of implementation costs; these fees involve direct charges to the individual as well as systems-level coverage such as health insurance and tax dollars. The comparator organization likely alleviates costs to the system by limiting stays at non-residential and emergency facilities and supporting the securing of permanent residencies. This research involves several issues of public health significance: expansion of the academic literature, HIV/AIDS, housing instability, sheltering approaches, social justice issues, housing as healthcare, and related costs. Results offer a pilot cost comparison that demonstrates housing needs of PLWHA, opportunities for improving efforts to alleviate the issue, and recommendations for future cost comparisons and service provision.
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Details
| Item Type: |
University of Pittsburgh ETD
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| Status: |
Unpublished |
| Creators/Authors: |
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| ETD Committee: |
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| Date: |
24 February 2017 |
| Date Type: |
Publication |
| Defense Date: |
6 December 2016 |
| Approval Date: |
24 February 2017 |
| Submission Date: |
27 November 2016 |
| Access Restriction: |
1 year -- Restrict access to University of Pittsburgh for a period of 1 year. |
| Number of Pages: |
82 |
| Institution: |
University of Pittsburgh |
| Schools and Programs: |
School of Public Health > Behavioral and Community Health Sciences |
| Degree: |
MPH - Master of Public Health |
| Thesis Type: |
Master's Thesis |
| Refereed: |
Yes |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: |
unstable housing among PLWHA, HIV/AIDS housing |
| Date Deposited: |
24 Feb 2017 17:36 |
| Last Modified: |
01 Jan 2018 06:15 |
| URI: |
http://d-scholarship.pitt.edu/id/eprint/30383 |
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