Health care providers in South Jersey are increasing their focus on housing as a public health concern, with systems like AtlantiCare and Cooper University Health Care expanding services to address the link between unstable housing and poor health outcomes.
Samantha Kiley, president of Atlantic City Midtown CDC and vice president of Community Health and Social Impact at AtlantiCare, explained the connection: “Housing and health are deeply interconnected. Poor housing conditions, such as mold, asbestos, and lead paint, can lead to chronic health issues. The stress of not knowing where you’re going to live, or if you’ll be able to keep your home, affects mental health and emotional well-being and when people are forced to choose between paying for housing or paying for food, medications, or transportation, their health suffers. We don’t always talk about it this way, but stable housing contributes to social health, too.”
AtlantiCare has introduced programs such as homebuyer education and financial coaching for employees who face challenges affording housing. Since 2019, the organization has provided down payment assistance following findings from its Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA). After a 2023 CHNA highlighted housing as a top community priority, new initiatives were launched. Cooper University started its “Unite” program in 2020 to connect patients with support services using digital tools.
Both organizations now track patient outcomes beyond traditional metrics by monitoring access to stable housing and community resources. At Cooper University Health Care’s “Unite” digital hub, 36% of social needs referrals over six months were related to housing.
Research from the Rutgers Center for State Health Policy shows that more than one in ten New Jersey residents lack stable housing or fear losing it. In Atlantic County alone, up to 40% of households experience housing insecurity. More than half of renter households in New Jersey spend over 30% of their income on rent—a situation that disproportionately affects people of color.
In Atlantic City specifically, over 60% of renters pay more than HUD’s affordability benchmark for rent. The city also faces one of the highest foreclosure rates nationally.
Joel Cantor, director of Rutgers Center for State Health Policy, described the statewide increase in homelessness: “We find in our work that people who are unhoused have extraordinarily high rates of utilization of emergency departments and are often there for vague reasons. It is a real stressor for health care providers.” He attributed much of the problem to limited affordable housing supply and rising rents.
Cantor noted that homelessness nearly doubled after the COVID-era eviction moratorium ended in 2025. He expressed concern about federal policy shifts: “The plan is to direct funding for homeless services to localities that treat homelessness as a crime,” he said. “It takes funds away from evidence-based interventions. So it’s hard to be optimistic that we’re going to be able to address these problems effectively in the coming years.”
AtlantiCare’s Midtown Community Development Corporation (CDC), established in 2021, received $1 million in Neighborhood Revitalization Tax Credit funding from New Jersey’s Department of Community Affairs in April 2024. The CDC uses these funds for rehabilitating homes and supporting low- and moderate-income homeowners with repairs aimed at long-term stability.
“Our focus continues to be on where we can lead, where we can partner and how we build durable impact over time,” Kiley said.
Future plans include partnerships linked to developing a medical school with Drexel University College of Medicine in Atlantic City and collaborations with developers specializing in healthcare-related housing.
Jarrod Barnes, director of Health and Human Services in Atlantic City, outlined efforts including administration of Section 8 vouchers under state guidelines—providing one year’s worth of rent support along with financial education—and eviction prevention programs through rental subsidies when needed. Fifty people have been approved for vouchers this year; no additional vouchers remain available at this time.
“We are out in the community hearing their needs and trying to provide assistance,” Barnes said. “This isn’t just an Atlantic City issue. We need municipalities from all around the area to assist because a lot of those who are homeless here are not from Atlantic City.”
New Jersey Medicaid’s Section 1115 waiver allows reimbursement for addressing social needs like food access and housing through NJ FamilyCare until 2028. This supports managed care organizations offering long-term housing help alongside behavioral health services.
At AtlantiCare clinics—including primary care and behavioral health—patients are screened at every visit for signs of housing instability; staff then help secure shelter placements or assist with documentation as needed. This year Medicaid-funded counselors will join care teams directly.
Cooper University Health Care provides similar support especially for patients dealing with addiction or pregnancy; services include connections with transitional shelters funded by state grants or legal aid through partnerships like its Medical-Legal Partnership with Camden Coalition.
Camden County has set a goal—to reach "functional zero" chronic homelessness by 2030—by combining prevention strategies with rapid rehousing efforts coordinated among local providers such as Cooper University Health Care and Camden Coalition.
Officials say these steps clarify how stable housing supports better community health outcomes across South Jersey communities facing economic hardship or racial disparities.
“When housing systems fail, health care systems absorb the fallout,” Kiley added. “But with the right resources and partnerships, we can shift from being the last line of defense to the first opportunity for prevention.”
