Commitment to Community

At National CORE, we strive to bring an array of benefits to the neighborhoods where we develop and operate housing. We believe where you live matters, which is why we work to build beautiful, healthy, and high-performance housing that is accessible to people of all income levels. But we also recognize that there is much more to where you live than brick and mortar housing – communities form the backbone of every neighborhood. We do our best to support local communities and businesses and other networks of support, including fellow mission-driven nonprofits and community-based organizations, as we strive to transform and strengthen the communities where our residents live, work and play.

Investing in Local Hire

National CORE is committed to hiring locally. When we build housing in a community, we ensure we are maximizing the benefits for that community. Each additional development brings new jobs in construction, property management, supportive services, and more, and we work with local staffing agencies and community partners to be sure those jobs are made available to local residents. Through local hire, our team is able to further our service to our community.

Community Strengthening Initiatives

CORE Academy

Through a budding partnership between National CORE and Chaffey College, low-income Inland Empire residents will have access to training programs in property management and property maintenance. These are growing industries that currently employ millions of Americans, with thousands of new, well-paying jobs constantly being added. However, the complexities of these industries often must be learned through extensive training and certification processes, which can make the fields inaccessible to low-income workers.

Learn more about CORE Academy: First Major Step Toward Making CORE Academy a Reality | National CORE℠

CORE Academy In the News: An affordable multifamily housing model aims to create upward mobility for residents – WorkingNation

Ending the Digital Divide

Low-income urban neighborhoods and underserved rural communities, including Tribal Lands, often lack the infrastructure to access the internet – this “digital divide” creates a huge barrier to educational and economic growth for many communities. National CORE is proud to be part of a broad coalition of leaders representing health, education, business, government, philanthropy, and other disciplines that have convened regularly over the last year to address broadband connectivity issues throughout the Southern California region. National CORE continues to work on breaking down the digital divide through the deployment of broadband internet infrastructure to neighborhoods and areas where it is needed most.

The Connection Between Health and Housing

Safe Affordable Housing Has a Huge Impact on Health:Housing has long been recognized as a key social determinant of health.Study after study conclude that safe and affordable housing improves health care outcomes and reduces health care costs, reducing taxpayer spending on Medicaid and Medicare.National CORE recognizes this link and is committed to improving access to and the integration of housing and healthcare.

Breaking Down Silos: Separate federal agencies (HUD and HHS) and separate Congressional committees bifurcate these two policy areas, even though there are significant synergies between the two.These silos should be broken down.

HHS Should Take the First Step in Breaking Down Silos: Last year, Rep. Roybal-Allard (D-CA) inserted the following appropriations report language directing HHS to focus on using housing waivers to reduce health care costs:

“Homelessness. — The Committee recognizes that homelessness can unnecessarily drive-up Medicaid costs through excessive use of emergency room care, and that providing housing and resident services to this population can reduce such costs. The Committee directs HHS to report on the extent and types of waivers that exist to allow Medicaid funds to be used for affordable housing and resident services, in order to reduce Medicaid costs for families and individuals with disproportionate levels of health care expenditures. Such report shall include any efforts HHS has made or plans to make that would encourage such use through guidance to states or use of demonstration projects.

Federal Investments in Affordable Housing are Undervalued:Federal spending on housing – particularly for housing with enriched supportive services – does not get budget credit for its significant taxpayer savings, such as reducing Medicaid and Medicare costs and boosting individual earnings and tax receipts through self-sufficiency activities. Federal spending and budget rules should be changed to reflect this.

National CORE Recommendations Surrounding Health and Housing:

• • Congress should approve additional funds for Medicaid on a non-matching basis, allocating funds by formula to State Medicaid Plans to fund rent for homeless and other at-risk individuals with a history of excessive Medicaid costs to live in federally assisted housing units.
  • HHS should grant Medicaid waivers for this same targeted purpose.
  • Congress should fund incremental vouchers for this same targeted purpose
  • Congress should create a new program to fund enriched supportive resident services for low-income families in federally assisted affordable housing units.

Op-Ed by National CORE President and CEO Steve PonTell and LA Care CEO John Baackes

HUD and HHS must work together on affordable housing – HousingWire

National CORE Webinar

“The Health and Housing Connection in the Era of COVID-19”: Steve PonTell, National CORE; John Baackes, LA Care; Pablo Bravo, Common Spirit Health; Tony Iton, California Endowment; Betsey Crimmins, Trestle Health and Housing; Scott Olson, Olson Advocacy Group.

Listen to the Webinar

Partnership with IEHP

National CORE has partnered with the Inland Empire Health Plan (IEHP) — a nonprofit serving more than 1.25 million residents of Riverside and San Bernardino counties – to provide rent subsidies for some IEHP members who are transitioning out of long-term care and are at risk of homelessness. At Day Creek Senior Villas, National CORE’s beautiful new community in Rancho Cucamonga, through the partnership, 10 units are reserved for these at-risk IEHP members.

A Demonstrated Commitment to our Communities

Partnering with Local Service Providers

Because we know that we are stronger together, National CORE continues to partner with organizations and institutions, including:

Supporting Local Charities

National CORE also invests in select nonprofit partners to help build their capacity to better serve our communities, including:

• • End Child Poverty California
  • Children’s Fund San Bernardino
  • Union Station Homeless Services
  • Loma Linda Children’s Hospital
  • San Antonio Hospital Foundation
  • Boys & Girls Clubs (several)

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