health and housing - npcnys · a study from boston medical center's children's...

Health and HousingThe challenges of women headed households

2018 NPCNYS Annual Conference Healthy Housing: A Prescription Ordered for All Communities

Who we are:

Regional Economic Community Action Program (RECAP)

Our Mission: To mobilize and coordinate public and private resources to address the basic needs of low-income people and assist them in attaining the skills, knowledge, motivation and opportunities needed to become economically self-sufficient.

Regional Economic Community Action Program or RECAP, provides programs and services to help people who live in poverty in Orange County New York and the surrounding areas. RECAP works with our community’s most vulnerable populations including seniors, children, veterans, the homeless and the hungry, those living with HIV/AIDS, victims of domestic violence, people battling substance use disorder and anyone struggling to make ends meet.

10/18/2018 2018 NPCNYS Annual Conference, October 18-19, 2018 2

What we do:

Helping PeopleChanging Lives

Since 1965, RECAP has been providing services to Orange County.

In 2015, RECAP’s footprint was increased to include the City of Newburgh which had previously served by another CAP.

2015, the long-term executive director retired and a new tri-partite executive team was hired.

2016 entered into an IPA: Partnership for Wellness and Recovery with 5 other NFP

2017 completed Mill Street Apartments – 42 units

2017 was awarded the Orange County Fuel Fund

2018 received 2 ESSHI awards

Opened our 3rd Fresh Start café – Mill Street Café

Facilitated 24 Poverty Simulations over the last 20 months


Where we serve


Orange County, NY


Also Orange County, NY


Orange County Poverty Report


SDOH – Social Determinants of Health

SDOH are the complex circumstances in which individuals are born and live that impact their health.

They include intangible factors such as political,

socioeconomic, and

cultural constructs,

as well as place-based conditions including

accessible healthcare

education systems

safe environmental conditions

well-designed neighborhoods

availability of healthful food


SDOH


SDOH –What’s the big deal?

An Individual who lives in Warwick will live to almost 84 years old

An individual who lives in Newburgh will live to 74 years old*


SDOH-Risk Factors

There are over 500 abandoned properties in the City of Newburgh

Train Crash + Hazardous Materials + Chemical Plant = environmental disaster

Poisoned Water


SDOH –Risk Factors

The City of Newburgh has no walkable grocery stores, therefore no options for healthy foods.

Quick, easily available foods are high in calorie, high in salt & sugar and increases obesity rates in adults and children.

The obesity rate in the City of Newburgh is over 40%


And breathe…


Seriously, what’s the issue?

Women in America are still 35 percent more likely than men to be poor in America, with single mothers facing the highest risk. Currently, 35 percent of single women with children live and raise their families in poverty. (Legal Momentum)

Segregation into Low-Paying Work Women are ½ the workforce yet account for 60 percent of the nation’s lowest paid

workers. The salaries are consistently lower than in traditionally male career paths, such as construction, engineering, and energy. Gender Wage Gap

Even when women have the same seniority or work experience, they are often paid less than their male colleagues. This inequity exists at all levels of employment. Inadequate Social Safety Net

Women and children account for over 70 percent of the nation’s poor. Unfortunately, the nation’s anti-poverty and safety net programs have repeatedly failed to take into account the reality of women’s lives and provide sufficient provisions for helping women and families escape poverty. Until very recently, and as is still the case in many states, unemployment insurance in most states was limited to full-time workers, leaving part-time workers – the vast majority of whom are women – with no assistance if they lost their jobs. Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, the country’s main program for addressing family poverty, does not provide enough support to prevent acute material hardships –like hunger, homelessness, and utility cut-offs – for the families that rely on it. Work requirements for women with very young children create even higher hurdles. With women accounting for over 90 percent of adult TANF recipients, reforming this program is critical to alleviating women’s poverty.


What’s the issue? cont

Lack of Affordable Childcare There are 11.5 million single-mothers in America. While women’s workforce

participation has increased, the supply of affordable child care has lagged far behind, meaning that many single moms literally cannot afford to work or have to spend a large share of their meager income on childcare.

Family Caretaking Responsibilities Regardless of marital status, family caretaking responsibilities more often fall to

women: when a child or relative is sick, women are more likely to sacrifice work and income to take care of that person. For the many low-wage workers who lack paid sick leave, taking a child to the doctor means losing a half-day or full day’s wages when finances are already stretched to the breaking point.

Costs and Burdens of Pregnancy Working women necessarily take time off for pregnancy and birth. While women

with paid sick leave may be able to utilize that to offset some of the cost of childbearing, women in low wage-earning jobs must often forfeit income during the course of a pregnancy and immediately following a child’s birth. For women in non-traditional jobs, employers sometimes fail to modify job duties or force them into inappropriate light duty positions against their request; these types of behaviors may constitute pregnancy discrimination in violation of Title IX.

Violence and Abuse Domestic violence and sexual assault have repercussions far outside a woman’s

home or personal life. Victims of violence are forced to leave jobs for safety and take time off work to seek appropriate medical care and legal assistance. Many abusive partners limit their victim’s economic freedom, controlling checking accounts and garnishing paychecks. In addition to physical and emotional injury, sexual and domestic violence leaves victims economically vulnerable as well.


Poverty & Women Headed Households

The poverty rate of women headed households in the City of Newburgh is 57.6%

The life expectancy of in the City of Newburgh is almost 75; 5 years below the national average

Where you live affects your health


What’s the issue?


What does housing have to do with health?


Housing = Health


Housing is one of the most impactful unmet social needs in the U.S.

In 2016, 30 million households in the United States reported having significant physical or health hazards within their homes. Millions of people at-risk for developing serious health conditions that can lead to poor health outcomes and the costs associated with care are significant.

According to research published in American Health and Drug Benefits, almost 33% of emergency department visits are made by people experiencing homelessness.

The same study found that on average, patients experiencing homelessness visit the emergency department five times annually, and the most frequent users visit them weekly.

A study from Boston Medical Center's Children's HealthWatchestimates that housing instability will cost the healthcare industry around $111 billion over next decade.

Housing = Health


Housing+Health=

Better outcomes for women

Increasing access to affordable housing improves women’s health and reduces health disparities.

Affordable housing frees up household resources for health care and healthy food, which leads to better health outcomes for women and children.

Women and families living in subsidized housing are more likely to have health insurance and less likely to have unmet medical needs than others.

Stable and affordable housing also supports women’s and children’s mental health by limiting stressors related to financial burden or frequent moves.


Housing+Health=

Better outcomes for women

It allows for safety when leaving an abusive relationship. Many women face the choice between staying with an abusive partner & becoming homeless. According to one 2010 study, over a 12-month period, women who experienced housing or food instability were four times more likely to experience rape, physical violence or stalking than women who did not experience housing or food insecurity.

Housing stability improves the mental health of women’s families. Staying in one residence for longer periods of time is associated with lower levels of anxiety among children and adolescents.


Some Ideas Building safe, affordable quality housing should be embraced by

every community.


Asking the right questions

In assessing the needs of our clients, they have identified transportation, affordable child care and jobs

as their primary challenges


Reduce Barriers



FOCUS Program: 14 units of subsidized housing for women affected by domestic

violence and their children

There is no time restriction for how long someone can live in FOCUS

On-site case management is available

Vocational/educational, substance use, emotional support, DLA



Fresh Start Café: A Workforce Development program. Targeting unemployed, under-employed, those receiving welfare benefits and recently released from incarceration. They are trained in culinary arts as well as business skills.

The 3rd and newest; Mill Street Café opened in in September 2018


Other Ideas

Poverty and health are linked.

Research shows targeting women and girls with programs and serves decreased poverty and increases health outcomes

Educational, vocational and targeting programming work. Nora Cronin Presentation Academy

Women’s Leadership Fund


Be a superhero

Know your allies




Michele McKeon, MSW RECAP

40 Smith Street Middletown, NY 10940845-421-6267

[email protected] www.recap.org

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.recap.org/

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