Health Care Service Corporation is helping Medicaid members secure a stable place to live and achieve better health outcomes through an investment in a new affordable housing community known as Vivian’s Village.
The community of 16 one-bedroom housing units located in Cahokia Heights, Illinois, is dedicated to targeting the health-related social needs of members, including housing and access to affordable food, as well as managing residents’ chronic health conditions and mental health needs.
A crowd of nearly 100 people recently packed under a double-wide tent on a 90-degree day in Cahokia Heights to celebrate the first affordable housing built in town in nearly 30 years. SIHF Healthcare is leading the collaborative project.
“We see you, and we recognize you, and we're here to stand with you,” HCSC Executive Director of Illinois Plan Medicaid Operations Courtney Boileau said during the ribbon-cutting ceremony. “This is not just housing; this is a community. I’m excited to see the outcomes that this community will bring in the years to come.”
HCSC invested in the project through its Illinois health plan as part of a five-year, $12 million commitment to address homelessness and improve health outcomes throughout the state.
“I remember when this was only an abstract idea,” Illinois State Senator Chris Belt told the crowd. “I remember coming here last year and putting shovels in the ground and now we’re back. That’s what progress looks like — that’s what commitment looks like.”
A community building will offer residents access to virtual health care services, along with meal delivery and internet access. SIHF Healthcare will provide medical services at nearby clinics and tap other community organizations for additional needs. Residents can connect with a community health worker for help with additional services, such as paying bills.
SIHF Healthcare CEO Larry McCulley, and local and state officials, view it as a new way to provide health care outside of traditional clinical settings.
“The full intent is to change the way people access resources and health care,” he says. “This layers in the level of care and respect that people need to improve their health and well-being.”
Vivian’s Village is located near a bus line, daycare center, police station and Dollar General to ensure residents are connected to the community and have everything they need at their fingertips.
Part of the origin of this project was review of data from the St. Clair County Housing Authority, which found a need for more housing for individuals with disabilities, particularly those with behavioral health needs.
All 16 units are permanent supportive housing for individuals that have underlying physical or behavioral health conditions and meet income eligibility.
The development is named after Vivian Cash, a revered community member who served as a commissioner for the St. Clair County Housing Authority prior to her passing in 2020. Members of Cash’s family attended the ribbon cutting.
In addition to SIHF Healthcare and HCSC's Illinois health plan, other partners include the Metropolitan Housing and Development Corporation, St. Clair County Housing Authority, and the Illinois Housing Development Authority.
SIHF plans to build an additional 36 family units as part of the organization’s second phase in Vivian’s Village.
“The ultimate goal,” McCulley says, “is to be able to show in 10 or 20 years that we were able to change a community and lift up the health and well-being of the people who live here.”
