HUD's Supportive Services Demonstration, also known as Integrated Wellness in Supportive Housing (IWISH), is a three-year demonstration to test a model of housing and supportive services for HUD-assisted elderly residents. IWISH aims to promote aging in place and improve housing stability, wellbeing, health outcomes, and reduce unnecessary or avoidable healthcare utilization associated with high healthcare costs. IWISH consists of a housing-based team of a full-time Resident Wellness Director and half-time Wellness Nurse who will adopt a standard and formal strategy to assess residents' needs and coordinate health and social services. IWISH is being implemented in forty Multifamily housing sites across seven states. Completion expected in 2026.

HUD has a designed a cluster-randomized controlled trial (cRCT) to rigorously evaluate IWISH. Eligible elderly-restricted or elderly-designated Multifamily properties were randomly assigned to a treatment group that will implement the IWISH model or control group that will continue business-as-usual, which includes varying degrees of ongoing service coordination. The evaluation includes process and impact studies: The process study will assess fidelity to the IWISH model, document successes and challenges to implementation, and answer important questions related to resident health, wellbeing, and housing. The impact study will link HUD and Medicare/Medicaid claims data to measure the impacts of IWISH on healthcare utilization and housing stability.

The original demonstration ran from October 2017 to October 2020. The process study has resulted in two reports and the comprehensive report detailing the impact analyses will be completed in spring/summer 2022.The demonstration and evaluation has been extended for an additional two years in the original sites. The extension will include additional qualitative work with staff and residents and further quantitative analysis of HUD and Medicare/Medicaid claims data. The evaluation will be completed in fall 2026.

Note: The status of this project is ongoing.

Homelessness and Special Needs Services