Gulf Coast Housing Partnership

See How it Works

Gulf Coast Housing Partnership’s Health + Housing innovation creates new financing options for health insurers to invest in affordable homes with embedded health services. The approach is being piloted at two flagship developments: H3C in New Orleans, Louisiana, and The Pearl, in Jackson, Mississippi.

H3C – New Orleans, Louisiana

H3C includes 192 affordable homes supported by Medicaid Managed Care Organization partners Aetna/CVS Health and UnitedHealthcare. An adjoining Federally Qualified Healthcare Center (FQHC) is operated by DePaul Community Health Center, connecting residents directly to care with the support of community health workers.

The Pearl — Jackson, Mississippi

With support from UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Mississippi, Gulf Coast Housing Partnership transformed a long-vacant hotel into 76 affordable apartments for seniors. Jackson-Hinds Comprehensive Health Center operates an on-site FQHC and employs the community health worker model to support residents’ health and well-being.

Innovation Milestones

• Two pilot developments fully leased and occupied, totaling 268 homes
• On-site programming combining community events, free health screenings, and resource connections

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If you are born in Mississippi, Louisiana, or Alabama, you will on average live a shorter life than anywhere in the country. These disparities are driven by social determinants of health beyond health care. Our innovation aims to create affordable housing with access to health care, saving health insurers money that can be reinvested into affordable housing.

Kevin Krejci, Chief Capitalization Officer, Gulf Coast Housing Partnership

What a Difference A Cohort Makes

Gulf Coast Housing Partnership says support from the Breakthrough Challenge – funding, national visibility, and a robust peer network – was pivotal in bringing Health + Housing to fruition. “Once we’ve demonstrated the impact we know is possible, scale could be significant,” said Gulf Coast Housing Partnership’s Kevin Krejci.

What’s Next

An essential component of Health + Housing is measuring the impact of linking affordable housing with health-care access for residents. With H3C and The Pearl fully operating, Gulf Coast Housing Partnership is working with Medicaid Managed Care Organization and FQHC partners to implement a long-term evaluation to track and share data on program-wide outcomes and cost savings.