Counseling, a critical component of housing security, is at risk in Detroit

By Dennis Archambault
Coming off a population health forum dealing with the broad impact of toxic stress among people existing in the health and social safety net, it’s not very comforting to realize that a major ally in the housing area is at risk of a significant funding hit. In August, United Community Housing Coalition will lose two HUD grants totally $1.1 million – about 90 percent of its housing placement funds. Housing placement (which includes tenant organizing in the senior high rise buildings in Midtown and Downtown) is a very important service that helps people navigate the process of saving a house from tax or mortgage foreclosure, or even finding a place to live. Ted Phillips, executive director of UCHC, says HUD doesn’t think counseling has merit. We’ve seen how counseling directly applies to moving people who are evicted from a gentrified building, or helping building managers do the right thing.

Housing is a critical social determinant – so much so that Housing First advocates believe that it’s at the top of the social determinant scale. (Although it’s hard to say that food security, transportation, public safety, built environment, and other determinants are that far down the list.) As the movie, “Ghostbusters” popularized, “Who you gonna call?” UCHC and other agencies are in business to take the call and help people made vulnerable by social circumstance meet their basic needs, and ultimately, live healthier lives.
Check out this Detroit Free Press article for details on the UCHC situation: https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/detroit/2018/04/09/united-community-housing-coalition-hud-funding/482323002/

Dennis Archambault is vice president, Public Affairs, for Authority Health.