Author: Sydney Murray

Sydney Murray is a medical student at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Sydney is currently conducting research with the Center for Advancing Health Services, Policy & Economics Research. His research focuses on finding sustainable interventions for homelessness, with a particular emphasis on establishing the need for medical respite care within Missouri and nationally.

Saving Lives, Saving Costs: Why Missouri Taxpayers Should Care About Homeless Interventions

Image of encampment under a bridge.

Research indicates that for every dollar allocated to Housing First, $1.44 is recouped in related public savings. Similarly, every dollar invested in medical respite yields a return of $1.81 in reduced hospital expenditures. The vast majority of evidence indicates that the long-term savings generated by these programs far exceed the initial spending and create sustainable models for addressing homelessness and reducing healthcare costs. So, while skepticism or hesitation regarding the initial investments required to establish these programs is understandable, it is clear that the cost of inaction is far greater.