The Molina Healthcare Charitable Foundation Creates Save the Day Housing Fund to Fight Homelessness in the Metro Detroit Area
Ben Jackey, Ben.Jackey@molinahealthcare.com, (502) 377-9484
DETROIT, August 7, 2023 – The Molina Healthcare Charitable Foundation, in collaboration with Molina Healthcare of Michigan (“Molina”) announced a $40,000 Save the Day Housing Fund grant to Wayne Metropolitan Community Action Agency (“Wayne Metro”) to provide emergency housing aid to residents experiencing housing insecurity.
This initial grant will be combined with other government program funding to fill gaps and help address and prevent homelessness, which studies have shown contributes to negative behavioral health outcomes. Wayne Metro will also work with individuals and families to overcome immediate housing insecurities, assure the basic safety of a rental unit, and offer additional support services, including utility assistance and tax preparation.
“Molina Healthcare of Michigan has been a great support to the children and families that our agency serves,” said Louis D. Piszker, CEO of Wayne Metropolitan Community Action Agency. “Through our growing partnership, we will help fill gaps in public rental assistance to ensure Wayne County residents have a safe place to live.
In 2022, more than 60,000 Detroit residents faced eviction. More than half of Detroit households with an income below $35,000 pay over 30% of their income on housing costs. According to the City of Detroit’s Inclusionary Housing Study, only 23% of units are affordable to those who have extremely low-income households. In Michigan, housing insecurity disproportionality impacts historically marginalized communities with 48% of the homeless population being Black, despite this racial group being only 14% of the state’s population.
“The Detroit area faces an ongoing housing crisis and homelessness is a persistent problem,” said Terrisca Des Jardins, plan president for Molina Healthcare of Michigan. “Housing emergencies can be averted for many families with help from good neighbors like the Wayne Metropolitan Community Action Agency. We’re honored to be able to support their effort and to help residents of Detroit live healthier lives by reducing housing insecurity and homelessness.”
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About The Molina Healthcare Charitable Foundation
The Molina Healthcare Charitable Foundation is a 501(c)(3) established in 2020 by Molina Healthcare, Inc. The Molina Healthcare Charitable Foundation was created to improve the health and well-being of disadvantaged populations by funding meaningful, measurable, and innovative programs and solutions that improve health, life, and living in local communities.
About Molina Healthcare of Michigan
Molina Healthcare of Michigan has been providing government-funded health care since 1997. The Company serves members through Medicaid, Medicare, Medicare-Medicaid (Duals), and Health Insurance Exchange programs throughout Michigan. Through its locally operated health plans, Molina Healthcare, Inc., a FORTUNE 500 company (currently ranked 126), provides managed healthcare services under the Medicaid and Medicare programs and through the state insurance marketplaces. Molina Healthcare served approximately 5.2 million members as of June 30, 2023, located across 19 states. For more information about Molina Healthcare of Michigan, visit MolinaHealthCare.com.
About Wayne Metropolitan Community Action Agency
For more than 50 years, Wayne Metro has worked to eliminate poverty in Wayne County by providing economic independence programs that nurture families and build communities. The organization serves as a lifeline for residents – and its impact increased exponentially during the COVID-19 pandemic – by providing assistance to those in need with rent, utilities, home repairs, food and other essentials, education, childcare and more. For more information, visit WayneMetro.org.