We need to protect people’s housing during this pandemic. And beyond.
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Physical distancing has become key to managing the coronavirus pandemic in the United States. But the economic disruption that accompanies “sheltering in place” has caused millions of people to lose their jobs. Come April 1, when the rent or mortgage payment is due, the many people who just became unemployed and those who were already living paycheck to paycheck will be at risk of losing their homes in addition to their livelihoods.
Stable, safe, and affordable housing is key to health. If the coronavirus makes the nation’s affordable housing crisis even worse than it already was—which is what is being predicted in states like California—then we will see a surge of poor health outcomes that are not caused directly by coronavirus but are caused by it indirectly. Without stable, affordable housing, people are more likely to experience respiratory and cardiovascular disease, unintentional injury, and mental health challenges, among others. |
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| Prevention Institute recorded a podcast about housing and health equity prior to the coronavirus crisis. Learn more below or listen to the podcast. |
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Act now to protect housing and health during this moment of crisis
Thanks to the efforts of housing and homelessness advocates, public health officials, and concerned local lawmakers, some cities and states have passed eviction moratoriums to prevent renters from being displaced during the current crisis. Use the COVID19 Local Action Tracker, created by the National League of Cities and Bloomberg Philanthropies, to learn what has been done in your area to protect housing, keep utilities turned on, ensure access to healthy food, and otherwise support health, safety, and wellbeing during the coronavirus pandemic.
We encourage you to join housing advocates, public health groups, healthcare organizations, and others who are working for local and state moratoriums on evictions, rent increases, and foreclosures for the duration of the pandemic. These protections should extend to all tenants and homeowners regardless of type of work, immigration status, or source of income. You can use this letter, developed by the Sonoma Intersections Coalition, as a template for advocacy efforts in your own community. The Intersections Initiative brings together coalitions from seven California communities served by Providence-St. Joseph Health System hospitals to advance health equity by addressing the community conditions that shape health, safety, and wellbeing.
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Learn how to support housing equity beyond the coronavirus crisis
The housing affordability crisis started long before the coronavirus pandemic, and it will likely continue long thereafter. That means we need to take on housing quality and affordability for the long term.
In a podcast that was recorded prior to the coronavirus outbreak in the US, but is more relevant today than ever, PI’s Associate Program Director Sandra Viera talks with leaders from four regions of California—Central Orange County, High Desert, Sonoma, and Eureka—about how their health equity coalitions are pursuing housing strategies, alongside community residents, and changing local policies and practices to increase the supply of affordable housing and protect tenants’ rights.
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Sandra’s guests—who are all part of St. Joseph Health Community Partnership Fund’s Intersections Initiative—talk about issues and solutions in rural, urban, and suburban areas and share what they are doing to make sure that state and local policies benefit residents who are most impacted by our state’s crisis of unaffordability: communities with low household incomes and communities of color.
For example, in Eureka, Intersections community leaders are advocating for rehabilitation of existing housing. In Sonoma County, the collaborative created a tenants’ union. In Central Orange County, partners are sharing lessons from successful community engagement on housing issues from larger cities with smaller ones. And in the High Desert, advocates can claim victory for an ordinance requiring landlords to have a business license, which requires properties to be inspected annually and proactively, limiting risk of retaliation against tenants.
We hope you’ll listen to and pass this episode of Moving Upstream along to friends, colleagues, and organizations interested in the intersection between housing and health equity. You can learn more about the Intersections Initiative in this Health Affairs blog or by checking out the Intersections website.
This podcast was made possible by the St. Joseph Health Community Partnership Fund.
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