Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois is sponsoring a new housing initiative from Chicago-based LifeHouse Group to help Medicaid members with substance use disorder transition to independent living.
The project will create four-bedroom housing units in Dixmoor, Ill., for individuals progressing through LifeHouse’s 170-bed recovery center, which opened in 2020 as an alternative to 90-day drug treatment programs. Nearly 40 BCBS Illinois Medicaid members currently live at the center, according to a Dec. 17 news release.
The development, called Empowerment Estates, aims to provide stability for justice-involved individuals at high risk of relapse. LifeHouse provides behavioral health support, workforce training and educational opportunities to help build independence, according to the release.
BCBS of Illinois is investing $12 million over five years in housing and behavioral health efforts across the state. The payer said more than 87,000 of its Medicaid members are affected by nonmedical issues, including unstable housing.
