Show Me Healthy Housing

The connection between health and housing is a growing topic in the philanthropic community, and it’s not difficult to understand why. Adequate housing is at the center of many aspects of our lives, and it can serve as a sturdy anchor for those trying to get back on their feet. A safe, affordable place to call home is linked to education, employment, and positive health outcomes overall.

The philosophy of supportive housing, which combines affordable housing with supportive services for individuals with one or more health conditions, is showing great promise in reducing Medicaid costs and improving health outcomes. This concept serves as the center of the Foundation’s pilot investment project called Show Me Healthy Housing. This effort provides funding to health-related nonprofit agencies for the construction of housing as well as the provision of case management and health care services for their clients.

“We think this holistic strategy really has the opportunity to pull people out of a cycle of insecurity, both from a financial and health perspective.”

Foundation CEO Dr. Robert Hughes

As part of our Show Me Healthy Housing program, we also partnered to create the first-ever Missouri Supportive Housing Institute, in collaboration with the Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH). During this four-month program held in 2015, four organizations (Delta Area Economic Opportunity Corporation, Compass Health, Inc., Gateway Housing First, and Grace Hill Settlement House) met for two to three days every month to develop a detailed supportive housing plan to serve their target populations. Learn more about the Institute and its impact by watching this short video.

 

A recent addition to the program is the Show Me Healthy Housing Loan Fund. This fund, administered by CSH, serves as a mechanism for financing pre-development costs associated with developing supportive housing. It combines funding from the Foundation with CSH’s national loan pool.

Individuals seeking more information about this new Loan Fund can contact CSH at loans@csh.org.

Show Me Healthy Housing grantees include:

• Columbia Housing Authority – Patriot Place: focusing on homeless veterans (Columbia, MO)
• Preferred Family Healthcare – Chloe Place: focusing on affordable housing for families and individuals with serious mental illness (Hannibal, MO)
• The Kitchen – Beacon Village II: focusing on affordable housing for families transitioning from homelessness (Springfield, MO)
• North East Community Action Corporation – Berkshire Estates: focusing on senior homeless veterans (Mexico, MO)