Blog Post Submitted by: Dr. Jamie L. Barney, Vice President of Behavioral Health Services
When accessing safe and stable housing, people can focus on their health and healthcare. Persons who are housed are more likely to have health insurance, a primary health care provider, and have few admissions to emergency rooms. Their life expectancy increases, by some estimates, 27 years.
Open Health Care Clinic has provided housing services for over 25 years, since 1996. Shortly after the organization was established, it became clear that housing was one of the greatest needs in the community. I oversaw the management of the housing program for almost 5 years. My eyes were opened to the experiences of persons experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity in a way that they have not been before.
Dr. Jamie L. Barney
A part of this role included visiting persons at the best place they could find shelter: abandoned businesses, abandoned homes, and wooded areas. One person showed me the shed that she slept in and the fan she used to try to keep the bugs from crawling on her throughout the night. Another person drove to our agency in the rental truck that she and her children slept in; and how they kept the gate slightly raised while they slept because of the heat. Another person showed me the abandoned business that she and her four-year-old son used for shelter. She showed me how she tried to cover the dirty mattress in the corner for him to sleep and the bucket they used for toileting.
Parents are forced to make decisions to allow children to be split up to live with other family members (if that is an option) or to remain with their parents in cars, wooded arears, or under overpasses.
Additionally, I fielded calls from persons who were pending eviction and had no where to go. No safety net, no parents or siblings that can help, no plan. Just desperation. I am a social worker and I did what I was trained to do. I listened. I provided information on any resources I could find. I did everything I could to explore the situation and try to find a solution for the short term or long term.
Several barriers come into play. There are not enough shelters for the number of persons who do not have housing. There are only a few emergency shelters in our community. One shelter prohibits boys over 6 years old and persons with certain medical diagnosis. Another shelter for pregnant mothers will not allow the mother to return after childbirth if she does not choose to put the baby up for adoption. Shelters also have time frames within which you must discharge, usually a few months.
The barriers to securing an apartment can be hefty. Credit checks, renting history, funds needed for the rental deposit and first month’s rent before you can move in, criminal background, and the rising cost of rent make it extremely difficult for some persons to secure their own housing.
Public housing options are some persons only hope of avoiding homelessness. Health centers, like Open Health Care Clinic, understand the unique barriers that these patients face and the trauma that they carry with them. We meet our patients where they are. We will assist them in enrolling in insurance plans. We will educate them on the importance of preventative medical care and walk them through the process. With an in-house pharmacy, we can fill prescriptions when patients come in. In addition to medical care, we provide oral health care, behavioral health care, case management, housing, and an array of other supportive services. A one stop shop removes barriers to accessing services.
We are committed to doing what we can to improve all of our patients’ health - without judgement. We show every person who enters our doors respect and provide high quality services. Many of our community members are facing homelessness or are at risk of homelessness. These conditions do not diminish their worth as a person. Public housing is the only tangible option for some people. Staff work tirelessly to help where they can. Although it seems like it is never enough, the work that is done in public housing changes lives. Housing and healthcare go hand in hand.
Housing is healthcare.