Rethinking Homelessness.

Reimagining Solutions.

Overview

The Institute for Housing, Homelessness, and Health (IH3) at the University of Houston brings together interdisciplinary research, education, data and community partnerships to support Houston’s efforts to address homelessness and housing instability. Working alongside community partners, IH3 focuses on strengthening systems, advancing practical solutions and preparing the next generation of professionals to address the connections among housing, health and social well-being.

Welcome From Dr. King

Welcome to the Institute for Housing, Homelessness, and Health.

I am honored to help launch this university-wide initiative at the University of Houston. Homelessness and housing instability are not challenges that belong to any single profession, organization, or sector. They are shaped by housing, healthcare, behavioral health, law, public policy, economics, education, transportation, and many other systems that intersect in the lives of individuals and families.

That complexity is precisely why the University of Houston is such a powerful environment for this work. Our university brings together extraordinary expertise across disciplines, while also educating much of the region’s future workforce. Through the Institute, we have an opportunity not only to support better research, evaluation, data use, and system improvement, but also to influence how future physicians, nurses, social workers, lawyers, policymakers, pharmacists, engineers, architects, and community leaders understand and respond to homelessness.

We begin this work with humility. Houston already has a remarkable community of outreach teams, shelters, housing providers, healthcare organizations, coordinators, funders, advocates, and people with lived experience who have built and sustained this work for years. Everything IH3 hopes to contribute will be grounded in their expertise, leadership, and partnership.

Our role is not to replace what already exists. It is to connect the University’s resources to community priorities, help strengthen promising work, support shared learning, and create opportunities for collaboration across traditional boundaries.

I am grateful to the donor whose vision made this Institute possible, to the University leaders who have supported its development, and especially to the community partners whose work gives this effort its purpose. I look forward to building it together.

Ben King, Ph.D. M.P.H.
Founding Director of the Institute for Housing, Homelessness, and Health
Clinical Associate Professor, Tillman J. Fertitta Family College of Medicine

Transdisciplinary Challenge

Housing instability and homelessness do not belong to a single profession. Solutions require collaboration across healthcare, behavioral health, public policy, law, engineering, architecture, business, education, communications, and many other disciplines.

The Institute was intentionally created as a university-wide initiative because the University of Houston offers something few institutions can: the opportunity to bring together experts from across disciplines alongside community partners to address a shared challenge. By connecting research, teaching, implementation, and community engagement, the Institute aims to foster new collaborations that improve systems while preparing future leaders to work across traditional professional boundaries.

Interdisciplinary Strength

Institute for Housing, Homelessness, and Health connects expertise across the entire University of Houston ecosystem, including:

Andy and Barbara Gessner College of Nursing
College of Education
College of Natural Sciences & Mathematics
College of Optometry
College of Pharmacy

C. T. Bauer College of Business
Cullen College of Engineering
Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture and Design
Graduate College of Social Work

Hobby School of Public Affairs
Tilman J. Fertitta Family College of Medicine
UH Law Center
And More!

Preparing the Next Generation of Leaders

The University of Houston educates the largest and most diverse health and human services workforce in the Greater Houston region. Every year, thousands of future physicians, nurses, social workers, pharmacists, lawyers, public servants, engineers, architects, data scientists, business leaders, and other professionals begin careers that will shape the health and well-being of our communities.

The Institute views education as one of its greatest opportunities for long-term impact. By creating interdisciplinary learning experiences grounded in community partnership, students will gain a deeper understanding of housing, homelessness, health equity, and systems of care. Just as importantly, they will develop the skills to work collaboratively across professions with humility, compassion, and a shared commitment to improving the lives of people experiencing housing instability.

In doing so, the Institute hopes not only to improve today's systems, but also to influence the values, perspectives, and practices of tomorrow's workforce.