Is housing health care? State Medicaid programs increasingly say ‘yes'

States are using public health insurance money to provide housing for the poorest and sickest Americans. California is investing $12 billion in a Medicaid initiative to help homeless patients find and pay for housing. Arizona is allocating $550 million for six months of rent for homeless individuals, while Oregon is spending over $1 billion on services such as emergency rental assistance. At least 19 states are directing Medicaid funds towards housing aid. The Biden administration supports these efforts, encouraging other states to follow suit. The use of health care funding to house people is a subject of debate.