H&HE Investment

GMHF supports H&HE efforts because there are unique conditions that make this the right time

• The COVID pandemic has provided clarity of the housing and health equity connection.
• Following the murder of George Floyd, addressing racial health disparities has become a driving force for change within healthcare.
• The Affordable Care Act (ACA) is settled law, with court challenges completed and bi-partisan acceptance of ACA benefits to people.
• Affordable housing and homelessness are at crisis levels.
• Healthcare organizations are shifting attention and resources to upstream solutions to community health and racial disparities.

GMHF can work with Health Care Institutions and partners to achieve Housing & Health Equity Goals, as it will:

• Convene Housing & Healthcare Leadership in cross-sector conversations to spark innovation and support “pioneers” in our fields of work.
• Connect Training & Technical Assistance from national and local experts that link Housing, Health Equity, and shifting resources and investments toward upstream activities advancing community health.
• Provide Grant Opportunities to advance institutional investments or projects that advance housing as a social determinant of health (i.e. pre-development, consultants, program, or other grants that match healthcare investment).
• Provide Project-Level Technical Assistance on development activities related to real estate, community facilities, healthcare facilities, or other community driven activities being championed by a healthcare partner.
• Financing Resources and Tools available through GMHF including direct real estate investment, leverage/alignment of other public and private sources, and services related to healthcare investment.
• Connect Cross-Sector Partnerships among community development, housing, and healthcare institutions within our well-networked field of work.

• Building Better Neighborhoods
• Employer Assisted Housing
• Foreclosure Response & Recovery
• NOAH Impact Fund
• HRA/EDA Housing Institute
• Minnesota Equity Fund
• Minnesota Preservation Plus

In 2005, Greater Minnesota Housing Fund (GMHF) and its Minnesota Green Communities partners successfully integrated Green & Healthy Communities criteria into affordable housing building and design standards statewide (see outcomes here). Today this work must continue to advance health and climate solutions.
For more information and background on the Minnesota Green Communities initiative, download this PDF document that captures outcomes and lessons learned