On Thursday, Oct. 1, Rutland Regional Medical Center announced its Housing for Health fundraising campaign in partnership with the Rutland Housing Authority and its non-profit affiliate, Housing Initiatives Inc., to raise $150,000 to establish safe and supportive transitional housing in our local region by year-end.
Specifically, funds raised will support multifamily “bridge housing” units at 101 Woodstock Avenue in Rutland to transition individuals and families out of homelessness and, eventually, into permanent housing.
The new site will provide nine transitional housing units including one unit for an on-site resident manager to help maintain day-to-day supports and connections to needed health and human services within the community.
Along with Rutland Regional Medical Center, the Homeless Prevention Center, Rutland Mental Health Services, and BROC Community Action have all agreed to partner on this critical project.
RRMC is committed to helping residents who may face discharge barriers due to lack of safe housing, or a living environment where they can heal.
“Homeless individuals are five times more likely than non-homeless individuals to be admitted to the inpatient hospital units and stay in the hospital for up to four days longer. We need to create safe environments for people to get healthy and back on their feet,” stated Kevin Loso, executive director at the Rutland Housing Authority.
The project is even more important as the pandemic has created an even greater need for safe and affordable housing that can accommodate social distancing to help to reduce viral spread.
Last year, Vermont reported an average of 1,089 homelessness on any given day according to the HUD.
