The Foundation

In the middle of heated debates about how to fix America’s housing crisis, one type of housing keeps things quietly running in the background: NOAH, or Naturally Occurring Affordable Housing. You probably pass these buildings every day aging apartments, duplexes, even mobile home parks providing affordable rent with no strings attached. No subsidies, no vouchers. […]

A lot of health plans today are exploring or already investing in housing programs. That’s a good thing. But there’s a problem we keep seeing: people are trying to measure success in a way that doesn’t really reflect how housing works in the real world. The most common approach is to look at it in […]

Imagine a mother of two living in a hotel, just $800 short of moving into a safe apartment. The housing is lined up. She has income. But that one-time gap, the security deposit, is all that stands in her way. Now imagine being the partner who helps close that gap. For Medicaid health plans, flex […]

When a member lacks stable housing, the problem is rarely just about finding shelter. Behind the barriers to housing missed appointments, dropped calls, reluctance to engage—there’s often something deeper: a story they’ve internalized about who they are and what they deserve. Narrative therapy offers a powerful framework to change that story. What Is Narrative Therapy? […]

If you’ve been anywhere near the Medicaid or Medicare world lately, you’ve probably had the same conversation I have every week. It goes something like this: “We know housing matters. But we’re not in the real estate business.” And yet, many health plans are still trying to solve the housing problem by building from scratch. […]

The Upside Member Housing Plan is a structured roadmap that guides members toward safe, stable housing while providing health plan partners with a scalable, results-driven solution. More than just assistance, it removes barriers, connects members to critical services, and improves overall well-being. Using evidence-based practices like motivational interviewing and the Stages of Change model, our […]

For individuals experiencing housing instability—particularly those managing behavioral health or substance use challenges—the journey to secure housing can feel overwhelming. It’s not just a matter of paperwork or system navigation; it’s often an emotionally loaded process marked by frustration, shame, and exhaustion. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) offers a practical, evidence-based approach that helps individuals […]

For years, health plans have acknowledged that housing instability plays a major role in poor health outcomes and increased costs. But despite pilot programs, partnerships, and SDOH initiatives, the reality on the ground hasn’t changed much for the people who need support the most. Most housing efforts fail not because plans don’t care but because […]

At Upside, we help members navigate the complex journey to housing stability. Using the Stages of Change Model, we meet members where they are and guide them step by step toward lasting progress. What is the Stages of Change Model? The Stages of Change framework helps us assess a member’s readiness for action and tailor […]

When someone is rebuilding their life after addiction, stable housing is more than a roof. It’s a reset button. For members in early recovery, traditional housing options often fall short. Some are too rigid. Some too loose. Others just aren’t built for the unique balance of autonomy and accountability that recovery demands. That’s where Oxford […]