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Health

We believe housing is health.

The Healthy Housing Initiative elevates Providence’s ongoing commitment to ending homelessness and invites other health care providers in Portland and throughout Oregon to join us.

In 2018, Providence’s eight hospitals in Oregon cared for more than 1,500 patients who reported they were homeless. Many of these men, women, and children, however, returned to the streets once they were well enough to leave the hospital. Wet pavement, cold cars, or tents tucked into bushes are never sustainable options for people struggling with health issues.

A drawing of a medical professional interacting with a patient
The connection between affordable housing and access to health care is undeniable.

Permanent housing leads to:

• Fewer emergency department visits
• Better connection to primary care
• Improved access and quality of care

We are most successful when we care for the whole person. Serving our most vulnerable patients means providing primary care, mental health services, transportation to appointments, or access to addiction support groups.

Our Objectives Are Clear.
  • Decrease hospital readmission rates for newly-housed residents by at least 50%.
  • Connect 100% of residents with primary care and behavioral health services within five years.
Articles

Pioneering Catholic social ministry

Posted By | Catholic Charities Communications
Free online lecture Nov. 16, 11 a.m.

Catholic Charities needs muscle

Posted By | Catholic Charities Communications
Team unloads and organizes furniture for refuge households

Expert: Childbirth can lead to homelessness

Posted By | Catholic Charities Communications
Dr. David Willis, a national expert on child health and poverty, reports that sometimes the birth of a newborn can be a catastrophic tipping point for families on the verge of losing their homes. The driver of this outcome is the chasm between soaring rent and stagnant income. And the birth of a new baby…

Update: 'Filling to the soul'

Posted By | Catholic Charities Communications
Nothing expresses love like a good meal, tenderly prepared. Chris Ideson, founder and head chef of CI Lifestyle Meals in Portland, has been dishing out helpings of tender regard at Kenton Women’s Village, a tiny home community operated by Catholic Charities of Oregon.