The Housing Corporation of Arlington (HCA) is among five nonprofits serving populations that face health inequities receiving $20,000 grants from Mount Auburn Hospital provided over two years.
"HCA Is honored to be one of just five grantees for Mount Auburn Hospital's community grant program," Erica Schwarz, HCA executive director, said March 22.
The funds will enable HCA to run its homelessness-prevention grant program, which covers some costs for families at risk of homelessness. It will also help families:
- Search for affordable housing, help people set career goals and find new employment; and
- Sign up for benefits, such food stamps, and be referred for other vital services, such as mental-health care.
In addition, the funds support initiating tenant councils, so that the residents of HCA's 150 units of affordable housing "can gain a stronger voice in how their homes are managed, and connect with opportunities to become more active on housing issues and other local issues that are relevant to them.
"Through this work, HCA is excited to grow our own organizational leadership and leadership within Arlington at large, and to help more low-income tenants bring their views to the civic conversation," Schwarz said.
A March 21 news release from Mount Auburn said the funds are intended to support programs that address community health priorities among populations within the hospital service area.
The focus populations were determined based on Mount Auburn Hospital’s most recent community health-needs assessment and include:
- Youth and adolescents;
- Older adults;
- Low-resource individuals and families;
- Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) individuals; and
- Racially, ethnically and linguistically diverse populations.
“The health of our community is our primary concern, and we are honored to be able to contribute in every way we can,” said Dr. Ed Huang, interim president of Mount Auburn, in the release. “We are proud to support these organizations and the important work they are doing to reduce health disparities and inequities for those in our community. We are glad to put resources behind this work to support our shared goal to have a greater impact in the communities we serve.”
Mount Auburn also has awarded $20,000 grants to four other organizations:
Kingdom Empowerment Center (KEC), Cambridge - We Heal Ourselves with Love and Empowerment (WHOLE)
More Than Words (MTW), Waltham - Social Enterprise Youth Development Program
Transition House, Cambridge – Trauma-informed counselors representing the BIPOC Community
Y2Y Network, Cambridge - Strengthening Case Management Program
Mount Auburn Hospital was founded in 1886. A teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School, its mission is to provide clinically excellent care with compassion and to teach students of medicine and the health professions. For more information about Mount Auburn Hospital, please visit mountauburnhospital.org
Mount Auburn Hospital is a part of Beth Israel Lahey Health, a health care system that brings together academic medical centers and teaching hospitals, community and specialty hospitals, more than 4,800 physicians and some 36,000 employees in a shared mission to expand access to great care and advance the science and practice of medicine through groundbreaking research and education. For more information about Beth Israel Lahey Health, please visit www.bilh.org.
January, 2023: E. Arlington low-income housing plan draws board support
This news announcement was published Friday, March 24, 2023, based on information from Kristina Murray, media-relations manager at Beth Israel Lahey Health, and Erica Schwarz, HCA executive director.
