Bankruptcy and Homelessness Can Kill, Heath Advocates Say

By Michelle Ayr

 

On Thursday, Lehman College in the Bronx held a gathering at which activists and experts discussed what can be done to improve the economic and medical wellness of struggling New Yorkers.

The meeting was formally convened by The Bronx Health & Housing Consortium, which since 2011 has been working with other groups to assure Bronx dwellers have health care and stable housing.

Together the organizations have gained great credibility in the community as, through their partnerships, they seek to reduce stresses for those in difficult situations regarding their finances, their health care and their housing.

“There are many, many people across the state, not only that are uninsured, but, who have health insurance, and have gone to the doctor and have still received a very large medical bill,” said Bonnie Mohan, Executive Director of The Bronx Health & Housing Consortium. “I think that is something we really want to focus on, because nobody should have to go bankrupt or be forced to decide to whether to pay their medical bills or their rent.”

The Bronx Health & Housing Consortium has been trying to study the “medically homeless” in the Bronx, a term used to describe those whose habitual money and housing problems adversely affect their physical and mental health. The consortium investigated, for example, how people might benefit from sometimes unneeded and costly hospital visits, while it sought to shift those insecure persons into stable housing.

“We need to try to break the cycle of homelessness one client at a time,” said Rosa Cifre, chief program officers for Comunilife, a community-based health and housing service provider for New York City.

“For us to pursue happiness, we all need healthcare and housing,” said Mohan, adding, “I just believe that it’s a quality of life issue.”