Rent Subsidies to Prevent Housing Instability and Protect Heart Health
Official title: Effects of a Short-Term Rent Subsidy to Prevent Housing Instability on Cardiovascular Health Outcomes
Funded at Northwestern University · NIH-11420455 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A funded plan will examine whether a short-term rent subsidy helps prevent housing instability and improves heart-related health outcomes for adults in Illinois.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Northwestern University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chicago, United States) |
| Project start | September 22, 2025 |
| Project end | June 30, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $766,268 |
| NIH project number | 5R01NR021993-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11420455 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults aged 21+ who experience an acute economic shock leading to potential housing instability and are eligible for short-term rental assistance in Illinois.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals without an acute housing shock or those not eligible for subsidy processing may see no health benefit.
What this research studies
This project targets adults 21 and older who experience an acute financial shock and risk losing stable housing. It will examine whether providing five months of rental assistance plus utilities reduces cardiovascular health problems and hospital use. The study follows people who are currently housed but facing an economic shock, and it considers how quickly subsidies can be processed by a community organization to avoid delays. Researchers will analyze how organizational capacity constraints affect the delivery of subsidies and, in turn, health outcomes. The goal is to understand whether rapid housing support can protect cardiovascular health during stressful times.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the subsidy program could reduce heart disease risk and healthcare costs by stabilizing housing during financial shocks.
How similar studies have gone: Prior work suggests housing stability is linked to better cardiovascular health, but this study tests a policy-level intervention in real-world settings.
Where this research is happening
-
Northwestern University
Chicago, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Chen, Edith — Northwestern University
- Study coordinator: Chen, Edith
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.