Headline
Housing needs assessment tool can help providers who work with people leaving incarceration to better understand their housing needs and risk of homelessness
Context
Health care, social service, and correctional professionals have a role to play in supporting successful reentry for people after incarceration, including by assessing individuals’ unique housing needs and risk of homelessness. This screening tool offers questions to help guide productive conversations with individuals leaving incarceration to understand their housing needs, an important health-related social need.
About this Tool
This screening provides questions related to:
- Assessing housing history and risk of homelessness;
- Identifying population status that would qualify for specialized housing services; and
- Exploring needs for wraparound services, including related to public benefits, transportation, and childcare.
The authors encourage users of the tool to adapt the questions and note that responses should be kept voluntary and confidential.
Takeaways
Housing assessments tools can provide important insights into the needs and risks a person faces as they transition from jails and prisons into communities. Providers that work with the reentry population — such as certain health care, social service, and correctional professionals — can consider adopting a detailed housing assessment as part of their intake process.