Kresge Foundation Selects Baltimore Partnership to Advance Health Equity Through Housing

BALTIMORE – The Baltimore Regional Housing Partnership (BRHP) has been awarded a $100,000 planning grant from The Kresge Foundation to advance health equity through housing in Baltimore. The grant will allow the organization to plan for a demonstration assisting up to 100 low-income families with children in the Baltimore region who can benefit from a coupling of the Housing Choice Voucher program and housing mobility counseling to achieve health, well-being and economic stability.

“We believe that a health-focused housing voucher program is not only critical for Baltimore, but feasible,” said BRHP Executive Director Adria Crutchfield. “Baltimore City’s asthma-related hospitalization rate is almost three times higher than the U.S. average and about 2.2 times higher than the average rate for Maryland. Together, with the expertise and commitment of our partners, we hope to change health outcomes like these for generations to come.” In collaboration with the Housing Authority of Baltimore City (HABC) and Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, BRHP will conduct planning activities for a Healthy Children Demonstration to create a foundation for aligning housing vouchers with health promoting environments in the Baltimore region to improve health outcomes for children.

“We know that having a stable home in a good community can greatly contribute to improved health for all members of the household, especially children. Helping children in HABC families grow up healthy is a priority for us as an organization,” said HABC CEO and President Janet Abrahams. “This collaboration between BRHP, HABC and Johns Hopkins School of Public Health will enrich the lives of the residents we serve and ensure healthy, affordable housing alternatives.” BRHP is one of 20 non-profit organizations nationwide selected as a grantee partner to advance health equity through housing and working on innovative community-generated multi-sector solutions to improve health outcomes, housing affordability and quality.

Through its Advancing Health Equity through Housing funding opportunity, Kresge seeks to identify and accelerate community-driven practices that connect the housing and health sectors and recognize multi-sector partnerships that preserve and increase the supply of stable housing to improve health, well being and health equity for families in low-income communities in cities across the country.