COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has announced that $2.5 million is going to the Coalition of Homelessness and Housing in Ohio “to help improve birth outcomes and reduce infant mortality by providing stable housing for low-income families.”
Gov. DeWine’s office said the Housing Assistance to Improve Birth and Child Outcomes Program will assess the impact and effectiveness of housing and rental assistance to reduce factors for infant mortality, increasing housing stability of low-income households with children while improving maternal and infant health outcomes.
“Together, we are ensuring that more at-risk, pregnant moms will have a roof over their heads because inadequate housing is a huge risk factor for infant and maternal mortality,” said Governor DeWine. “By removing this burden for parents, we’re creating bright futures for our children.”
Here’s how the program works, according to Gov. DeWine’s office: The Coalition of Homelessness and Housing in Ohio will enroll and support pregnant women and households in Franklin and Summit counties. The program will allocate 24 months of rental assistance and intensive housing stabilization services, including landlord mediation, financial assistance, health care coordination, and person-centered planning and motivational interviewing to support the attainment of basic needs and achieve long-term economic stability. Franklin and Summit counties are among the most housing cost-burdened areas in Ohio.
The program is funded through the Ohio Department of Development and managed in partnership with the Ohio Department of Health and the Governor’s Office of Children’s Initiatives.
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Editor's note: Video in the player above was originally published in an unrelated story on March 23, 2022.
