IU led program to provide housing for pregnant women

Indianapolis, Indiana – Pregnant women who are homeless or have housing insecurity can get housing assistance through a program run by the Indiana University School of Medicine.

Through the provision of housing, social support, and advocacy, this organization takes an innovative approach to improving birth outcomes in Indianapolis. Poor housing conditions, eviction, and unstable housing can all raise the chance that the mother and baby will have a difficult delivery.

The initial part of the program, known as the Healthy Beginnings at Home (HBAH) Intervention, offers case management services, 24 months of rental assistance, and housing navigation services. The second initiative, known as the Health Justice Intervention, tries to stop the eviction of low-income pregnant women by collaborating with the legal system.

Participants in HBAH must be over 18, facing housing insecurity, and CareSource Medicaid members. They must also be in their first or second trimester. The ladies receive full rental help for 15 months, followed by 9 months of reduced aid. The program has six women enrolled so far, with a goal of helping 100 women over five years. RDOOR Housing Corporation offers housing navigation, and the Indiana Department of Health, CareSource Foundation, and Birge & Held Asset Management are now funding the program’s rental assistance component.

“Our partnerships with CareSource, RDOOR and Birge & Held Asset Management all contribute to helping a pregnant woman identify housing options within the right price range, with them moving into their property between 2-5 weeks after enrollment.” Said Jack Turman, PhD, professor of pediatrics at IU School of Medicine and principal investigator of the project. “We all love that each woman gets to be part of the process of identifying where she wants to live.”

In addition to the HBAH Intervention, Adam Mueller, JD, the executive director of the Indiana Justice Project, has organized a Health Justice Intervention. To support pregnant women who are experiencing housing instability, Mueller’s team is educating the community through Know Your Rights programs, offering strategic litigation, and doing legal analysis.

Housing Equity for Infant Health, a five-year, $2.4 million grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration, provides funding for the initiative.