Four healthcare organizations have collectively contributed $2.68 million to a project that will build an apartment complex in Eugene, Ore., with 24-hour, in-house services for the homeless, The Register-Guard reported.
Portland, Ore.-based Kaiser Permanente Northwest; Vancouver, Wash.-based PeaceHealth; Springfield, Ore.-based PacificSource Health Plans; and Eugene-based Trillium Community Health Plan contributed the funds to the $13 million housing project, slated to open in December 2020. Non-healthcare organizations contributed to the project as well.
The complex will include 51 furnished studio units and offer in-house support services, including healthcare. The complex will operate under a "housing first" protocol, eliminating the need for residents to undergo extensive screening for sobriety or other conditions.
"Housing first is a unique approach that opens a door for the most medically and socially vulnerable in our community who would be least likely to qualify for housing under other programs," said Mary Kingston, chief executive of PeaceHealth's Oregon region, to The Register-Guard. "Safe housing is a proven path to improving overall health and quality of life."