Housing Matters receives $150,000 grant from Kaiser Permanente

Kaiser Permanente is supporting efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19 among people experiencing homelessness in Santa Cruz County as a way to improve the overall health of the community.

A $150,000 grant to Housing Matters – the largest provider of homeless services in Santa Cruz County – will provide support to individuals experiencing homelessness, those at greater risk for contracting or transmitting the virus. This is one of 14 grants Kaiser Permanente recently awarded to nonprofits and government agencies that serve people without stable housing in Northern California.

Kaiser Permanente recognizes that individuals and families experiencing homelessness are at greater risk for COVID-19 because without a stable place to live, it’s nearly impossible to maintain good health.

The Kaiser Permanente funding will allow Housing Matters staff to more safely perform health assessments on clients by creating more space so people can socially distance when checking in for services. It will also improve on-campus housing set aside for those who need to quarantine or isolate.

“We’re so grateful for this grant from Kaiser Permanente because it will help us improve our response to COVID-19 among our clients,” Housing Matters CEO Phil Kramer said. “Right now, social distancing among our clients seeking housing services is a challenge. This grant will help us create a healthier space with additional seating, pathways, new fencing and signage to improve flow and safety.”

Housing Matters serves more than 3,000 individuals a year in Santa Cruz County and offering services that guide people experiencing homelessness toward permanent housing.

Affordable housing and homelessness are a significant focus for Kaiser Permanente because housing security is crucial for a person’s physical and mental health. Kaiser Permanente has taken significant steps to preserve affordable housing, prevent homelessness, and house vulnerable seniors in our Northern California communities including:

• Since 2019, making impact investments of nearly $35 million to support the purchase of 37 properties in Northern California, ensuring that some 3,300 units of housing in those buildings remains affordable.

• Partnering with the San Francisco Foundation, a trio of nonprofit agencies, and the City of Oakland to launch Keep Oakland Housed. The program provides legal representation, emergency financial help, and supportive services to prevent Oakland residents from losing their housing and has served more than 3,000 households since its launch in 2018.
• Partnering with Bay Area Community Services in 2019 to house 515 formerly homeless seniors with a chronic health condition or disability.
• Investing $25 million in Project Homekey, a statewide initiative to turn underutilized hotels and motels across the state into interim and permanent housing.

“Kaiser Permanente believes stable housing is a key to wellness,” said William MacLean, MD, Physician-in-Charge for Kaiser Permanente Santa Cruz County Area. “We are proud to support Housing Matters because it ensures our most-vulnerable residents are protected by a strong housing safety net that provides a path to housing and health care during the pandemic.”

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