It’s not easy for everyone to find quality, affordable healthcare. When you’re earning a lower income, it’s even harder. Mercy Housing has always understood that a home is the best place for people to take control of their health. As we provide hundreds of people in Wisconsin with a home, it’s essential that we provide more than four walls and a roof, and better healthcare can make a big impact for so many right now.

At Mercy Housing Lakefront communities in Milwaukee, City on the Hill (COTH) helps us to make healthcare more accessible by supporting residents to have even more agency over their health. This is the second year COTH has partnered with us as a recipient of this grant-funded program.

COTH is a free community health clinic with nurses that visit communities twice a month at the Johnston Center and St. Catherine’s from September – December. COTH receives grant funding from Aurora Better Together Fund to support this program.

Plan in Action

We want more people earning low incomes to have opportunities like this, so it’s important that our work is scalable and measurable. With City on the Hill, we offer:

• Health education onsite, focusing on hypertension, diabetes, and other health concerns that affect people of color disproportionately.
• Biometric assessments, including screenings for high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, weight, and body mass index — followed by one-on-one health coaching.
• Healthcare navigation from Community Health Workers to guide residents through healthcare systems (those lacking access to care will be assisted to enroll in Badger Care or other health insurance programs).
• Continuity of care in a medical home will assist those residents without a provider to choose providers and schedule first appointments at City on a Hill’s Free Clinic or another medical home.

Housing is Health

Health disparities are both a result of and a major contributor to racial inequality. Unmet health needs eventually lead to more than bad health, impacting quality of life, employment, and financial status. Our efforts to address the healthcare needs of people living with extremely low incomes in Milwaukee, where this population is predominantly Black/African American, is one of the many ways Mercy Housing strives to make communities more equitable and inclusive.

This partnership with COTH will help Mercy Housing Lakefront Milwaukee residents to access health benefits, learn to use them wisely, and maintain their health. This is a critical time to address health needs. Supporting residents to improve their own health outcomes, better prepares them to focus on other important things in their life like family, education, and jobs.