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PORTLAND, Ore.—In an effort to address one of the biggest socioeconomic barriers to effective health care, CareOregon focused its spring 2017 grant cycle on overcoming housing insecurity.

CareOregon, which serves the largest number of Medicaid recipients in the state through its affiliation with four Coordinated Care Organizations, made $300,000 in development investment grants to seven organizations that focus their efforts on reducing housing insecurity.

"These grants continue CareOregon's emphasis on working with our community partners to address social determinants of health, particularly housing issues. Along with adverse childhood events, this is a key goal for CareOregon management and our board of directors," said Eric C. Hunter, chief executive officer and president.

”Our experience in providing care through the Oregon Health Plan has made it clear that this population is at a greater risk for housing insecurity, as well as other social and economic factors, than the average Oregonian.”

CareOregon’s bi-annual community-benefit giving additionally awarded almost $115,000 in nine smaller grants within the organization’s core focus areas: childhood development, member and community empowerment, social determinants of health and Community Health Improvement Plan goals in its service areas.

The development investment grants include:

• Village Coalition (Metro, Multnomah County)—$60,000 for the Village Community Restorative Justice Training Program, working to permanently increase the amount of low-cost transitional housing in the metro area.
• Portland Community Reinvestment Initiatives, Inc. (Metro)—$50,000 for Homeownership Retention Program, which fosters homeownership stability for low‐ and moderate‐income homeowners age 55 and older.
• Bridge Meadows (Metro)-$45,000 for Building Resilience & Wellness through Intergenerational Place, Permanence and Purpose, a program to help children move from foster care to adoptive families. The grant supports staffing in North Portland and Beaverton.
• Maybelle Center for the Community (Metro, Multnomah County)—$45,000 for staffing support for program building connections and community in Portland’s Old Town-Downtown neighborhoods.
• Restoration House (Columbia Pacific Coordinated Care Organization, Clatsop County)-$40,000 to help bring Restoration House up to fire code. The Seaside housing facility is for adult men transitioning from incarceration back to their home community.
• Northwest Pilot Project (Metro)—$35,000 for a full-time housing case manager for extremely low-income seniors of color, in danger of displacement due to gentrification of their neighborhoods.
• Northwest Housing Alternatives (Metro, Clackamas County)—$25,000 to help renovate and expand Annie Ross House Emergency Shelter for Homeless Families.

The capacity investment grants are:

• African Youth and Community Organization..... $20,000
• Teaching Preschool Partners (Metro)................. $20,000
• The Shadow Project............................................... $15,000
• Tucker Maxon School............................................ $11,000
• Nursingale (Children’s Nursing Specialties)....... $10,633
• Reading Results..................................................... $10,000
• Store To Door......................................................... $10,000
• AntFarm Youth Services....................................... $10,000
• Community Partners for Affordable Housing....... $7,850

"A common theme of these grants is that they are to programs that are primarily direct services for young children and families at high risk of experiencing poor health outcomes," Hunter said. "We know that if we can have a positive impact on families' health early on, that impact will not only provide benefits now, but will continue to have benefits for them and our community for many years into the future."

For more about the grants, see http://bit.ly/co-2017-spring-grant-recipients

For information, contact Jeanie Lunsford, 503-416-3626, lunsfordj@careoregon.org.