Clinical Research Directory

Experimental Trial of an Employment-Based Housing Program for Adults at Risk of Homelessness: Housing Integrated With Residential Employment

Employment-Based Housing (EBH) is a novel model that helps unstably housed individuals obtain housing and on-site employment where they are housed. The long-term goal of this project is to examine how housing and vocational services can be integrated into hospital emergency departments (EDs) as a multi-sectoral intervention. The investigators central hypothesis is that EBH provides housing, employment, and health insurance which will reduce acute care use and ameliorate non-medical determinants of health more than standard care models. The rationale is that EBH addresses multiple upstream factors that can prevent recurring use of acute care, and the combination of housing with employment services will have positive synergistic effects. This project has three specific aims: 1) Conduct a three-arm randomized clinical trial comparing EBH to passive (resource list) and active control interventions (basic vocational services) on acute care use as the primary outcome and secondary outcomes related to housing, employment, and health-related quality of life; 2) Understand the experiences of subgroups of participants receiving EBH; and 3) Identify barriers and facilitators to adoption of EBH in public healthcare systems in other cities nationally. To achieve these aims, an EBH program will be integrated into the ED of the largest safety net hospital system in Houston, Texas- the 4th largest city in the United States. The project will include a three-arm randomized trial enrolling 750 participants (250 participants per arm). The three-arm trial allows for the investigation of the unique contribution of housing over other non-medical determinants of health (employment and insurance). Participants will be randomized to one of the three arms and followed for 12 months.

Silicon Valley Guaranteed Income Project

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn about how unconditional cash payments equivalent to $1,000 for 24 months (also called 'guaranteed income') might help families experiencing homelessness and/or unstable housing in Santa Clara County, California. The main questions it aims to answer are: 1. What is the impact of guaranteed income on homelessness and housing stability among families experiencing homelessness or housing instability? 2. What is the impact of guaranteed income on the health and well-being of families experiencing homelessness or housing instability? 3. In terms of size and frequency of cash payments, do families prefer monthly recurrent payments ($1,000/month) vs a larger up front amount followed by smaller monthly payments ($6,500/month, then $500/month)? Is one payment strategy more helpful than the other in terms of achieving improved housing stability, health, or other measures of well-being?