OPINION -- Housing and health are so closely interconnected that we must often address them together to serve our members.
People at or near the poverty income level have higher rates of diabetes, ulcers, kidney and liver disease and other chronic illness. When they move into stable housing, their Oregon Health Plan (OHP) costs drop an average of 12 percent.
But stable affordable housing is in short supply. For every five families in Portland that qualify for affordable housing, there are only two units. That shortage takes a direct toll on health. While OHP members who are severely ill go to the top of the list for Portland’s Home Forward public housing program, they may spend months on the waiting list. Medical procedures must be postponed because people don’t have a safe, stable home where they can heal.
Identifying solutions to this complex issue will take the cooperation of our entire community. The first step, however, is to keep people in the housing they have. That’s why CareOregon makes housing-related grants to organizations that are succeeding in this area.
Portland Homeless Family Solutions, for example, will use our $50,000 grant to fund a retention specialist to work with people on overcoming social issues that make it hard for them to get housing: evictions, debt to past landlords, bad credit and health issues like addiction. Learning new skills will improve their lives so they can retain housing without financial help. And having stable housing is proven to have better health outcomes.
Best of all, the work we do with our partners equips people with the basics they need to succeed.
But Portland is short 24,000 affordable dwellings. We can do so much more to improve community health when we continue to invest in affordable housing.
It’s time to take the next step.
Oregon harnessed its public will and resources to create OHP’s innovative health coverage for the working poor and those unable to work. In November, Portlanders have a chance to join the ranks of other great cities and apply our will and resources to affordable housing.
Your “yes” vote on Measure 26-179, a bond issue to fund 1,300 affordable housing units, means more than safe, stable homes. Your “yes” vote saves lives and helps people get on their feet. Lower health costs and a healthier community is a win we all share.
Eric C. Hunter is CEO of CareOregon, a nonprofit health services company which serves the largest share of Medicaid members in Oregon. It owns or supports four Coordinated Care Organizations – HealthShare of Oregon, Columbia Pacific CCO, Jackson Care Connect and Yamhill Community Care. CareOregon recently received a grant for $50,000 from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Jameel Poverty Action Lab to determine the effectiveness of its innovative housing and social support programs in improving the health of disadvantaged populations.
