Biederman Submits Duke CTSI Population Health Improvement Co-Development Application

Kudos to Donna Biederman and her entire team for the submission of her Duke CTSI Population Health Improvement Co-Development application entitled “Mental and Physical Health Correlates of Eviction from Public Housing” with the Durham Housing Authority as a community partner. This proposal requests funding for a one-year period with a start date of July 1, 2018.

Durham County has an eviction crisis. Eviction can lead to homelessness and myriad mental and physical health problems. Public housing is the housing safety net for many vulnerable elders, disabled persons and families. People living in public housing have worse health than the general public, however, little is known about the mental and physical health conditions of individuals evicted from public housing in Durham. Through this retrospective study we will obtain the names, date of birth and addresses of all persons evicted from 14 Durham public housing properties over the past five years and search the Duke and Alliance Behavioral Health electronic medical record systems to assess diagnoses and health care utilization patters pre/post eviction for those who received health care within these systems. We will also determine which evictees became homeless. Results from this study will inform eviction prevention programs, may help to reduce evictions and may lead to further funding.

Through this research project, we will address the following aims: Aim 1: Explore the social determinants associated with eviction and literal homelessness in DHA public housing communities.

Aim 2: Describe the health and health utilization patters of people who were evicted from DHA public housing.