OHSU invests in housing, health care for homeless individuals with mental illness, substance use disorders
At a packed news conference Friday, Sept. 23, OHSU President Joe Robertson, M.D., M.B.A., joined five other Oregon health care organizations in announcing a $21.5 million partnership with Central City Concern to build 382 units of affordable housing. The projects will include a new building at 122nd and Burnside that will also provide medical services to those recovering from mental illness and drug addiction.
“OHSU is proud to join with other local health systems in support of Central City Concern’s Eastside Health Center,” said Robertson. “We recognize that good health requires more than good health care. We understand the value of transitional housing as a key component of improving health for vulnerable populations. No one meets those needs better than Central City Concern.”
OHSU contributed $4 million to the projects, as did Kaiser Permanente Northwest, Providence Health & Services, Legacy Health and insurer CareOregon. Portland Adventist Health contributed $1.5 million.
Specifically, the projects are:
- The Eastside Health Center, which will serve medically fragile people in recovery from addictions and mental illness with a first-floor clinic and housing for 176 people. The center will also become the new home for an existing Central City Concern program, Eastside Concern, and will offer 24-hour medical staffing on one floor.
- The Stark Street apartments in East Portland, which will provide 155 units of workforce housing.
- The Interstate apartments in North Portland, which will provide 51 units designed for families. The apartments are part of Portland’s North/Northeast Neighborhood Housing Strategy to help displaced residents return to their neighborhood.
For more photos from the event, click here.