General News
Published June 10, 2019
Premera Blue Cross, along with Swedish Health Services and Providence St. Joseph Health, recently announced that each organization would donate $5 million to Plymouth Housing. This donation will allow Plymouth Housing to build more permanent, supportive housing, and address chronic homelessness in the greater Seattle region.
The link between homelessness and health
“Homelessness is a problem that affects everyone and everything in our region, and its impact on the community cannot be solved by operating in silos,” said Premera Blue Cross CEO and President Jeff Roe.
“We must find long-term solutions to homelessness, which will reduce the overall cost of care by decreasing the reliance on emergency health care,” he said. “In this time of economic transition, tackling homelessness in an effective and sustainable way requires collaboration from all sectors and industries.”
This donation to Plymouth Housing reiterates the strong commitment that all three health organizations already had to addressing the needs of those experiencing homelessness in the communities they serve.
Why Plymouth Housing?
One of the most effective ways to combat homelessness is through permanent supportive housing. Plymouth Housing provides wraparound social services and often serves people with disabilities or serious mental illness.
Plymouth plans to use the $15 million gift and proceeds from other fundraising to build three complexes comprising more than 300 supportive housing units. These units will be built in the International District, Lower Queen Anne and on First Hill. The First Hill site will be the largest, with 112 studios for seniors and veterans.
To learn more about this announcement, read the Premera press release.