CareOregon Initiative Boosts Access to Housing for Community Members

CareOregon has purchased a Red Lion Inn & Suites to help increase access to housing for the healthcare workforce and underserved communities.

The payer plans to convert the space in Seaside, Oregon, into housing units for local healthcare workers and Oregon Health Plan members with behavioral health needs. Columbia Pacific CCO, a coordinated care organization part of CareOregon, will operate the housing along with local establishments Clatsop Behavioral Health and Clatsop Community Action.

The initiative aims to address both housing instability and workforce challenges.

“Over the past several years as we’ve engaged in conversations about what our region needs to be healthy, we’ve continuously heard that housing is among our greatest needs,” Mimi Haley, executive director of Columbia Pacific CCO, said in the press release. “Converting the Red Lion into housing for providers and community members is part of a larger strategy to improve overall community health.”

Around two-thirds of the housing units will be reserved for healthcare providers in the Seaside region. The units will be offered at market rate, aiming to help organizations attract workers to the area.

“Our hospital often loses potential employees because of the lack of available housing in our region,” Pam Cooper, director of finance at Providence Seaside Hospital, shared.

“We have staff driving in from Tillamook County and Washington state. It’s challenging, especially when folks are ‘on call’ and need to be able to respond within 30 minutes of being called to come in. I spend a lot of my time trying to find leases, find rooms, [and] make arrangements with AirBnBs so we can have our shifts covered. The investment from CareOregon and Columbia Pacific is going to help us address this need.”

The other one-third of the units will be offered as permanent supportive housing for Columbia Pacific members with behavioral health needs, who are often at risk of homelessness. Members will receive onsite housing assistance from Clatsop Behavioral Health, allowing them to live in a stable environment and stay engaged with their healthcare providers.

The per capita rate of homelessness in Clatsop County is the highest in the state at six times the state average, according to Amy Baker, executive director of Clatsop Behavioral Health. The initiative will also help boost housing access for Clatsop Behavioral Health workers, as the agency loses around 30 percent of applicants in their job pipeline due to a lack of housing, Baker said.

Columbia Pacific started focusing on housing investment in response to community feedback. The organization identified affordable housing as a top priority in its five-year Regional Health Improvement Plan, which was informed by input from over 1,900 community members.

CareOregon is saving money by using an existing building for the project, as the development of the housing units costs around half of the cost of a new build. The payer expects the building to be open to residents by spring 2024.

“Throughout our nearly three decades of existence, CareOregon has made big investments in programs and services that can make an impact in the lives of those we serve,” said Eric C. Hunter, chief executive officer of CareOregon. “Rolling up our sleeves and working alongside community is how we approach everything we do. We’re honored to be able to leverage our dollars to help meet local needs in the Columbia Pacific region.”

At the end of 2022, CareOregon announced plans to merge with SCAN Group to form HealthRight Group, a nonprofit organization that serves Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries. The transaction is expected to close in 2023. Following the closing, SCAN Group will become HealthRight Group, but the consumer-facing CareOregon and SCAN Health Plan brands will retain their names, boards, community connections, and staff.