Giving Compass' Take:

• Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, public and private sectors need to reimagine health and housing systems to more effectively help those with short-term and long-term needs. 

• How can donors adapt their giving to match the urgency of the housing crisis during a pandemic? 

• Learn how effective advocacy efforts can help the homeless during COVID-19. 

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has wreaked havoc on health care systems, crippled economies, and amplified barriers to affordable housing for millions across the country. Like a tsunami, the virus has engulfed one community to the next—and in the wreckage further exposed a society built on broken systems. The pandemic has blatantly exposed the longstanding inequities in America due to institutional and systemic racism that people of color have experienced for far too long. It has brought to light the need to urgently rethink and reorient our role in reimaging the affordable housing sector—one that brings health in reach for all.

At The Colorado Health Foundation, we know that housing and health are inextricably linked. A safe, affordable, and high-quality home is the foundation for which good health outcomes can be achieved. Where we call home affects our physical health and our economic and employment opportunities, educational attainment, access to healthy foods and transportation, as well as other vital community resources. The quality of our health depends on the quality and affordability of our housing.

Read the full article about reimagining health and housing by Amy S. Duggan at Grantmakers In Health.