Allying Health Care and Housing

Health Progress, Mar/Apr 2005 by Murphy, Sr Lillian

Mercy Housing's Leaders Believe That Good Health Requires High-Quality, Affordable Housing

DURING MY YEARS as a hospital administrator, I became familiar with the impact that poverty and poor-quality housing tend to have on a person's health. I learned that chronic health concerns such as asthma, heart disease, and diabetes are all tied to the root problem of substandard housing, not to mention lead poisoning. I saw that the emergency room was often filled with people who were living in unhealthy conditions and suffering from malnutrition and preventable communicable diseases. Mentally ill patients with limited incomes had trouble sustaining housing they could afford-a fact that often contributed to their mental instability. People trying to get by on low incomes were forced to spend most of their resources on housing-no matter how inadequate it might have been-instead of paying for critical follow-up care and prescriptions. It became clear to me that health care institutions had the capacity, the position of leadership in their communities, and the compassion to make an impact on housing in those communities.

Six years ago, Mercy Housing and seven national Catholic health care systems created what they called the Strategic Health Care Partnership (SHCP) to build healthy communities by increasing access to affordable housing and health care. SHCP's members are Ascension Health, St. Louis; Bon secours Health System, Inc., Marriottsville, MD; Catholic Healthcare West (CHW), San Francisco; Catholic Health Initiatives, Denver; Catholic Healthcare Partners, Cincinnati; Catholic Health East, Newtown Square, PA; and St. Joseph Health System (SJHS), Orange, CA. Together we have substantially increased our impact on communities across the country. SHCP is currently working in 19 states and is responsible for more than 11,000 units of affordable housing, either completed or in development. In addition, local hospitals and health care facilities are providing health-related services to our residents, including immunizations, nutrition classes, and visiting nurses. By using our varied expertise and resources, Mercy Housing and our partners are working together to create healthy communities.

LINBROOK COURT

A tangible example of how SHCP works is Linbrook Court, a Mercy Housing affordable housing development for seniors in Anaheim, CA. In 1999, CHW and SJHS financed the opening of Mercy Housing's southern California office and assisted in introducing its staff to city officials. The introductions and financial support resulted in a new construction development that today provides attractive, high-quality housing for 81 senior citizens, including 25 apartments that are eligible for Section 8 vouchers available only to the poorest seniors.

Accessible to public transportation and just blocks from a commercial district, Linbrook Court's location makes it easy for its residents to remain active in the community. On-site resident services foster connections with neighbors and healthy lifestyles, and social and educational activities occur weekly.

Mercy Housing collaborated with CHW and SJHS to expand those systems' "healthy communities" efforts by increasing the supply of high-quality affordable housing for low-income families and individuals in southern California. Linbrook Court is the first development to emerge from these relationships. Its success is a testament to the determination of our health care partnership.

HOW SUBSTANDARD HOUSING AFFECTS POPULATIONS

Recent studies have confirmed the critical link between substandard housing and ill health in three population segments: children, seniors, and the chronically homeless.

Children Children in poor-quality housing especially seem to suffer from health problems at an alarming rate. Researchers at the Department of Pediatrics at Boston Medical Center have suggested that children who live in substandard housing suffer greater incidences of injuries, lead poisoning, and malnutrition.1 In addition, researchers have found that:

* Exposure to lead-based paint can lead to mental retardation, learning disabilities, and death.2

* Poor housing maintenance can lead to pest and mold-related health problems; for example, cockroach allergens present in substandard housing can cause respiratory problems and mold can trigger asthma attacks-particularly in children.3

* Children under age 18 who were below the federal poverty line ($18,850 for a four-person household in 2002) were much more likely to have an activity limitation than nonpoor children.4

* One fourth of the uninsured, including children, live below the poverty level; more than a half (54 percent) live below 200 percent of the poverty level.5

* In 1999, 10 percent of homeless families reported that their children needed to see a doctor or a nurse but were unable to do so.6

At several Mercy Housing properties, health care professionals from SHCP member hospitals and clinics provide residents with direct, often free health care services through their mobile health clinics and visiting nurse programs. These visits give uninsured residents access to high-quality health services.