Bon Secours Mercy Health announces that it is sponsoring eviction and foreclosure prevention programs in Bond Hill and Roselawn. The initiative is part of a larger collaboration with the Center for Community Investment aimed at bolstering local affordable housing systems through intentional health system investments designed in partnership with communities. Support for the initiative was provided by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
“Bon Secours Mercy Health recognizes the critical link between health and housing as people struggling to make ends meet have to decide between rent/mortgage payments, food, medical care and other essentials. The economic impacts of COVID19 have worsened housing stability for households in Cincinnati and without intervention, we may see further growth in racial inequities, poverty and associated health disparities,” said Dr. Samuel Ross, Chief Community Health Officer for Bon Secours Mercy Health.
“We have been working with residents and community partners in the neighborhoods surrounding our Bond Hill hub to see how we can help. The eviction and foreclosure prevention programs that we are sponsoring are intended to provide housing stability and are a direct response to community conversations that named housing and supportive programs for residents a key priority for the neighborhoods,” added Gina Hemenway, Executive Director of Community Health for Mercy Health - Cincinnati.
The initiative will help connect eligible residents to CARES funding and also bring an additional $300,000 in neighborhood-specific financial relief and supportive services to prevent unnecessary evictions and foreclosures for more than 200 at-risk households. A critical step in transforming affordable housing systems so that they meet the needs of all community members is ensuring that people who are currently housed remain housed, including during periods of economic crisis.
Partners include:
- Bond Hill Community Council
- Cohear
- Community Action Agency - Cincinnati | Hamilton County (CAA)
- Housing Opportunities Made Equal (HOME)
- LISC Cincinnati
- Roselawn Community Council
- Working In Neighborhoods (WIN)
The program launched on December 7. Bond Hill and Roselawn renters and homeowners may qualify for special financial assistance. Renters can call HOME at 513-721-4663 for information. Homeowners can call WIN at 513-541-4109 to meet with a housing counselor.
Additionally, Bon Secours Mercy Health has committed up to another $100,000 in match funding for a comprehensive evaluation of the impact of the prevention strategies on the health of residents and their neighborhoods. The results will inform future funding and policy efforts aimed at addressing the eviction and foreclosure crises more broadly.