(MENAFNEditorial)
For Immediate Release Contact:
February 09 2015 Robert Friant CSH
robert.friant@csh.org
212-986-2966 x245
New Haven CT – The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven recently awarded a $25000 grant to the CSH Social Innovation Fund "Healthy Futures" pilot project in Connecticut. This new gift will be used to help 55 individuals in Greater New Haven end their homelessness and access better health services through supportive housing.
“Homelessness is a complex issue that has many causes. The limited housing in Greater New Haven coupled with the fact that Greater New Haven has one of the highest housing-cost-to-income ratios in the country contribute to the problem” says Sarah Fabish Vice President of Grantmaking & Scholarships at The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven. “We’re pleased to support CSH Social Innovation Fund in its holistic approach to addressing this issue.”
“The Community Foundation first invested with CSH in 2010 to pilot a 'medical home' model to improve access to health care and wellness for New Haven's vulnerable population” said Sarah Gallagher CSH’s Connecticut Program Director and head of the Social Innovation Fund initiative. “Building on lessons learned and relationships developed from their initial grant The Community Foundation is providing additional help so that we can ensure stable housing as well as access to integrated healthcare for more individuals who have high levels of medical fragility.”
According to Gallagher CSH is testing innovative models through the Social Innovation Fund that address the healthcare housing and service needs of homeless individuals who struggle with complex health challenges and are the highest-cost users of crisis health services.
“Our aim is to demonstrate how supportive housing can break the expensive cycle that sees homeless people repeatedly encountering institutional systems – hospitals jails detox facilities and crisis care services – without any marked improvement in their long-term health and stability” Gallagher noted. “These men and women are often referred to as the 5:50 population – the 5% of beneficiaries who represent 50% of the costs – and their disproportionate share is due to the fact that homelessness exacerbates health issues limits access to care and inhibits healthy behaviors.”
CSH’s Social Innovation Fund has active pilots in three other areas in the United States: Los Angeles San Francisco and Ann Arbor. Michigan. Connecticut is the only statewide model. Together the four pilots will provide housing linked to health care coordination to a minimum of 549 individuals.
In Connecticut CSH and partners will ultimately serve 160 individuals including the 55 individuals in the Greater New Haven Area who are part of this grant.
For Connecticut CSH selected a statewide collaborative of local providers and public agencies led by AIDS Connecticut formerly CARC as one of only four Social Innovation Fund sub-grantees in the country.
“Supportive housing is a data-driven evidence-based solution that we know works to end homelessness and improve lives because the housing and services are so closely coordinated and tailored to meet needs of the residents” concluded Gallagher. “The goals are to get homeless people the housing and services that will keep them housed and on the road to long-term stability.”
ABOUT THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION FOR GREATER NEW HAVEN
The Community Foundation's mission is to create positive and sustainable change in Greater New Haven by increasing the amount of and enhancing the impact of community philanthropy. The Community Foundation makes grants and distributions that carry out the intentions of donors and organizations while responding to community needs and taking advantage of emerging opportunities. The Community Foundation was established in 1928. For more than three generations thousands of donors have built the community endowment by establishing permanent funds or making gifts to existing funds that distribute grants to a broad variety of issues and organizations. The Community Foundation is one of the oldest and largest community foundations in the United States and remains the largest grantmaker in a twenty town region located in South Central Connecticut. For more information about The Community Foundation please visit www.cfgnh.org.
ABOUT CSH
CSH has led the supportive housing movement for over 20 years demonstrating its potential to improve the lives of very vulnerable individuals and families. CSH has earned a sterling reputation as a highly effective financially stable organization with strong partnerships across government community organizations and foundations and financial institutions. CSH is advancing innovative solutions that use housing as a platform for services to improve lives maximize public resources and build healthy communities. CSH is working to assure that housing solutions are accessible to more people in more places.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.