NHC Releases Profile of $20 Million Investment in Affordable Housing by Health Insurer

WASHINGTON, Dec. 6 -- The National Housing Conference, a 501(c)3 non-profit, issued the following news release:

The National Housing Conference (NHC), a national nonprofit dedicated to educating decision makers and the public about federal, state and local affordable housing policies, released three case profiles on innovative cross-sector collaborations at the intersection of housing and health, education, and economic opportunity. One profile highlights a partnership between UnitedHealth Group and Chicanos Por La Causa (CPLC), a community development nonprofit that serves low-income communities throughout southwest U.S. This profile assessed the $20 million investment by UnitedHealth Group, a Medicaid managed care organization, in affordable housing development in Phoenix, Arizona to address the significant affordable housing needs of low-income residents and the community.

In 2015, UnitedHealth Group launched the myConnections pilot project in partnership with CPLC, providing funding for staffing at the Maryvale Community Center, including a housing navigator, an employment navigator and community health workers to help clients access services. The myConnections project aims to create places with comprehensive supportive services that address community members' full social and health needs, with assistance from other local service providers.

As the partnership between CPLC and UnitedHealth Group developed and deepened, CPLC approached UnitedHealth Group again with the opportunity to partner on the redevelopment of a 500-unit apartment building in Maryvale. UnitedHealth Group decided to directly extend $20 million of low-interest financing to CPLC for the project. The complex, when complete, will include a mix of affordable units and market-rate apartments, with the affordable units being reserved for very low-income myConnections clients.

"UnitedHealth Group is at the forefront of directly investing in affordable housing development and understands the key role affordable housing has on a person's health and well-being," says Janet Viveiros, NHC acting director of research. "Their collaboration with CLPC can be replicated by other health organizations in other communities as a strategy to improve health outcomes of low-income communities through investment in affordable housing."

On Tuesday, Dec. 13, NHC is hosting the How Housing Matters conference, in partnership with the Urban Institute, Urban Land Institute, and HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research, to bring together practitioners from different sectors to explore ways in which housing can be used to achieve positive outcomes in health, education and economic opportunity. If you are interested in receiving a press pass for this event, please RSVP to Andrea Nesby at [email protected] by Friday, Dec. 9.

aEurosAbout NHC: Everyone in America should have equal opportunity to live in a quality, affordable home in a thriving community. The National Housing Conference educates decision makers and the public about housing policies and practices to move housing forward together. NHC convenes and collaborates with our diverse membership and the broader housing and community development sectors to advance our policy, research and communications initiatives to effect positive change at the federal, state and local levels. Founded in 1931, we are a nonpartisan, 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. NHC's research team operated as the Center for Housing Policy until the organizations merged in 2013.

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