health and housing convening fosters collaboration between local organizations

On April 27th, CHFA partnered with the Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG) and The Colorado Health Foundation to host a Health and Housing Convening on expanding health and housing partnerships. The mission of the half-day event was to bring together a diverse group of approximately 80 influencers from Colorado housing, healthcare, and philanthropic sectors to:

• identify barriers and opportunities for partnerships and collaboration;
• explore how health, housing, and philanthropy can work together to leverage the assets of each industry; and
• establish connections that can build future partnerships.

Areas explored in a series of pre-interviews and discussion at the convening included; funding, data, policy, services, and partnerships. Within these discussions, several themes emerged, including:

• financing, funding, and reimbursement options;
• what data is needed, how to collect and share it, and how to use it to drive solutions; and
• potential successful models for collaboration through aligning resources from both the healthcare and housing sectors, considering support along the housing continuum including, homelessness assistance, rental housing for those needing services, and homeownership for healthcare employees.

“This was a great first conversation,” said Beth Truby, CHFA Preservation Program Manager. “We hope this is the beginning of a continuing dialogue with the healthcare and philanthropic sectors that will lead to partnerships and investments that drive solutions where health and housing organizations successfully collaborate to build housing and improve health for Coloradans.”