INTRODUCTION
At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Columbia University, with support from Robin Hood and The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust, began collecting data on healthcare access and utilization across New York City via the Poverty Tracker (see text box). The objective was to better understand the healthcare needs of New Yorkers and the difficulties they faced in meeting them. As the pandemic strained healthcare systems nationwide, Poverty Tracker data offered a unique opportunity to understand changes in healthcare access and utilization in New York City. As the pandemic has waned in intensity over time, questions about its lingering effects on access to health- care continue to be raised, especially among vulnerable populations. Since 2020, the Poverty Tracker has collected data on healthcare use and access that allow us to explore how disparities in healthcare outcomes have evolved over the course of the pandemic. In this brief, we examine the experiences of New Yorkers with high healthcare needs (“high-need” hence- forth) between 2021 and 2024. Building on earlier reports, we focus on healthcare experiences through the lens of housing hardship , a key but often overlooked driver of health disparities in New York City. 1,2 We analyze how housing hardship has shaped how high-need New Yorkers have sought healthcare, how their care settings have changed as the pandemic has waned, and how their living conditions have shaped their ability to manage their healthcare needs. Together, these findings illuminate the enduring links between housing stability, healthcare access, and health outcomes in New York City.
1 Bentley, R., Mason, K., Jacobs, D., Blakely, T., Howden-Chapman, P., Li, A., Adamkiewicz, G., & Reeves, A. “Housing as a social determinant of health: A contemporary framework." 2 Meltzer, R., & Schwartz, A. “Housing Affordability and Health: Evidence From New York City.”
HOW HOUSING IS LINKED TO HEALTHCARE ACCESS AMONG NEW YORKERS SINCE THE PANDEMIC 2
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