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PRESS RELEASE: HCAN projects help with housing crisis

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Health Care Access Now (HCAN) focuses on helping its clients overcome obstacles to good health outcomes. One serious barrier for low income or vulnerable community members is access to suitable housing. HCAN’s Community Health Workers (CHWs) have implemented new projects to alleviate the health problems that can arise from living in unsuitable…

CHWs Work with Clients to Improve Housing Situations
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CHWs work with clients to improve housing situations

“Housing should be fair for everyone. Even if you need low-income housing or are coming through a housing program, you should still expect a standard,” says Giacoma Telich, Community Health Worker (CHW) for Health Care Access Now (HCAN). Many factors contribute to whether housing is suitable, she states. The bare minimum is “housing that does…

Low income housing and landlord loopholes
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Low-income housing and landlord loopholes

The Housing Choice Voucher Program (formerly called Section 8) is a part of the Housing Act of 1937. The program was initiated in the early 1970s to assist low-income households with housing costs. People who receive vouchers—usually after a lengthy stay on a waiting list—have a limited period to find a place to live. It’s…

Affordable housing in Cincinnati
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Community Health Workers’ Housing Educations

Health Care Access Now (HCAN) trains and dispatches Community Health Workers (CHWs) to assist vulnerable people in the Cincinnati community so they can achieve good health outcomes. Using the Pathways Community HUB model (HUB), CHWs identify and help remove clients’ obstacles to a healthy life. CHWs provide Educations on each of these barriers.  One such…

Link between mental health and housing.
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The link between housing and mental health

“She went from homeless to a stable situation.” Denise Harris, Director, Care Coordination Services at Health Care Access Now (HCAN) and Licensed Professional Counselor, tells the story of a client whose whole life improved because of a housing change. With the assistance of her HCAN Community Health Worker (CHW), this woman moved into a community…

Rent increasing, causing negative impact on health
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Rents keep climbing, affecting health negatively

The practice of redlining, or racial segregation and discriminatory practices in the real estate industry, started to be exercised about a hundred years ago.  In many U.S. cities, certain neighborhoods were identified as “hazardous” based on the racial makeup of their inhabitants. Then, lending institutions used this information to deny home loans to people from…

Community Health Worker's provide access to health care.
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Cathy Boston: Encouraging the greatness within

Cathy Boston’s background in Human Resources has allowed her to develop expertise in empowering people “to become their best selves.” She tells the story of how her business, STATEMENTS by Cathy Boston, LLC, came about.  In her previous position, she was responsible for internal training and development. “I was asked to do stress management training…

Affordable quality housing improves health.
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Logan Towers provides quality housing

Imagine that you live in Over-the-Rhine in one of the only apartments you can afford. It’s unsafe, quite run-down, and the utilities aren’t reliable. When something breaks, you’re not sure if it will be fixed. You don’t have access to private transportation, and public transportation isn’t always in your budget, so you’re grateful to have…

Cincinnati Community Health Worker
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Tessa Johnson: Building relationships to make a difference

During the first year Tessa Johnson worked as a paraprofessional for the Cincinnati Public School system, she felt overwhelmed. She knew the children she helped needed more than just school support. Understanding she couldn’t reach everyone was a tough pill to swallow.  But she persevered, and now she gets messages from former students thanking her…

Cincinnati Community Health Worker
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April Biggers: Vital part of the community

April Biggers joined the Community Health Worker (CHW) program at Health Care Access Now (HCAN) on the advice of a friend—now co-worker—who raved about the position. “I knew I wanted a career, not just a job. I wanted somewhere I could grow and flourish. I wanted to be able to make a difference,” she says….