HOUSING REFERRALS WHERE DO WE TURN? AHCM CONSORTIUM OCTOBER 12 - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

HOUSING REFERRALS – WHERE DO WE TURN? AHCM CONSORTIUM – OCTOBER 12 2018

Housing – A Critical Social Determinant of Health • Robert Wood Johnson Foundation – summer 2016 Access, Stability and Affordability  Physical and Mental Health effects • Poor Housing Conditions  Same • Not Either/Or – Housed or Homeless..It’s more complicated • • Examples Distress/Stress  job instability for adults; educational instability for • children, along with social instability Structural Issues  injury • Air Quality  respiratory issues •

Why and How does Housing Instability Happen? Job loss and/or income instability • Inability to maintain rent or mortgage payments • Health/Mental Health • Disaster (Fire / Flood) • Landlord – Tenant Issues •

What Can We Do? Ask the Questions • Understand that a Quick Solution isn’t always available • Believe in Survival Instincts • Refer to Resources, even when we aren’t sure help is • immediately available

Housing Authorities Staff trained to be aware of community resources • Housing Units and Vouchers • Can both help and refer • Other community services (Food, Workforce, etc) • Shelters • Legal services (landlord/tenant disputes) • www.justia.com – Colorado Criminal Legal Aid / Pro Bono (several west • slope counties)

Coordinated Entry / Continuum of Care New system under HUD direction with states implementing • Identified agencies to screen homeless/at-risk people and coordinate list to provide housing • based on level of need Contacts: • Grand Valley Region (Mesa County) – Bev Lampley, Grand Valley Catholic Outreach, • 970.241.3658 San Luis Valley – Judy McNeilsmith, La Puente Home (Alamosa) 719.587.0538 •

Coordinated Entry / Continuum of Care #2 Contacts: • Western Slope (non-Mesa  Delta, Montrose, San Miguel, Ouray, Hinsdale, Gunnison) • - 7 th Judicial Dist. CASA, Dan Mohr, 970.615.9154 (leaving soon) Southwest CO – Housing Solutions for the SW, Brigid Korce (Durango) 970.259.1086 • - Mercy Regional Medical Center, Elsa Inman, 970.764.3884 • Roaring Fork / Eagle Valley – Bright Future Foundation, Claudia Hurtado-Myers (Avon) 970.306.4226

Western Colorado 211 Not just a referral source – model changing to include • more follow up Online, App, Call •

County Human Services Depending on situation, may be able to help short- • term – rent deposits, etc Another good community connection •

Conclusions • Research/Evaluation ongoing to quantify financial savings to the health care industry as a result of more/better/affordable housing. Imagine your top 5 highest system users – and the stability and wellness associated with better housing • Please make the calls – while the supply of quality, affordable housing is limited, there are many other supports and services that can help. • Thank you for all you do!