The Link Behind Health & Eviction

As the weather cools, we are already seeing more health issues crop up with the tenants we serve who are facing eviction.

Health issues are frequently at the root of why tenants come to our organization. If your kid gets sick and you have to miss work, you blow out your knee or suddenly discover you have a chronic health condition, things can spiral quickly.

We conducted a survey with Jesse Tree clients, and 25% stated that health issues are the primary reason leading to their eviction. Meanwhile, a stark 27% of our clients have visited the Emergency Room within the last three months, 40% always or often struggle with mental health symptoms, and 36% are always or often worried they will run out of food.

Our survey results reflect lots of research on the clear link between eviction and poor health, higher mortality, food insecurity, increased healthcare expenditures, and frequent hospitalization. Research suggests eviction both drives increased healthcare spending and disrupts healthcare access.

Our team stops immediate eviction for the people we serve, but we also have important conversations about the root cause of tenants' financial insecurity. Where health is an issue, we connect them to needed resources and help them set goals to ensure they can overcome those barriers in the future.

We even have in-house resources for more long-term healthcare support from our Community Health Worker, funded by Blue Cross of Idaho's Foundation for Health two years ago.

The conection between housing and health is clear, and we look forward to continuing to find ways to ensure the families we serve can remain housed and healthy.