Wellpoint Washington announced it has provided more than $1 million in recent funding to support nine community-based organizations working to expand housing stability and supportive services across Washington State. This latest round of funding builds on Wellpoint Washington’s long-standing commitment to housing and community health. Since 2021, the organization has directed more than $5 million in housing programs across Washington, supporting hundreds of organizations working to prevent homelessness, expand access to housing services, and strengthen community-based solutions.
Across Washington, the need for stable, affordable housing continues to grow, with thousands of residents experiencing homelessness and many more at risk due to rising housing costs and limited supply. According to the Washington State Department of Health, access to safe and stable housing is a key factor influencing physical and mental health outcomes.
“Housing is healthcare,” said Lisa Bogard, President and CEO of Wellpoint Washington. “By partnering with trusted community partners across Washington, we are helping create pathways to stable housing and better health outcomes for the people and families we serve.”
Through these investments, Wellpoint Washington is supporting a range of community-led solutions across the state. Recent partnerships include projects that are expanding access to safe shelter, strengthening care coordination, and connecting individuals and families to the services they need to achieve long-term stability.
Among these efforts, Olympic Hills Tiny House Village in Seattle reflects how these partnerships are taking shape at the community level, with more projects expected to come online in the months ahead.
Developed in partnership with the Low Income Housing Institute (LIHI) and Purpose. Dignity. Action. (PDA), Olympic Hills provides a safe, welcoming place for people experiencing homelessness, including individuals, couples, and people with pets. The village offers 45 tiny homes alongside on-site support services that help residents stabilize and begin the transition to permanent housing.
“Housing stability is fundamental to health,” said Sharon Lee, Executive Director of the Low Income Housing Institute (LIHI). “Investments like these help create safe, stable housing while connecting residents with the services they need to thrive. Partnerships between healthcare organizations like Wellpoint and housing providers are essential to addressing homelessness and improving community health.”
In addition to projects like Olympic Hills, the recent investments are helping organizations across Washington expand services such as housing-focused care management, eviction prevention, medical respite care, and culturally responsive programs for Native communities, families, older adults, and individuals reentering the community following incarceration.
Through these continued investments, Wellpoint Washington is working alongside local partners to create healthier communities, ensuring more people across the state have access to safe, stable, and supportive places to call home. Sustaining this progress will require continued collaboration and investment across sectors. Without it, communities risk increased strain on healthcare systems, higher emergency room utilization, and rising long-term costs that impact both individuals and the broader system. Expanding access to stable housing is not only the right thing to do, but also essential to improving health outcomes and building stronger, more resilient communities across Washington.
About Wellpoint
Wellpoint, part of the Elevance Health family of brands, focuses on improving physical health as well as the behavioral and social drivers that impact it through a comprehensive suite of Medicare, Medicaid, and Commercial products. The Wellpoint companies offer healthcare services for individuals seeking to make the right care decisions with health plans that foster independence, confidence, and whole-person health. For more information on Wellpoint Medicaid Health Plan in Washington, please visit www.wellpoint.com/wa/medicaid.
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