Rural Health Information Hub Latest News

Fair Housing Should Be a Right to All Pennsylvanians

Posted on by lad3

Fairness in PA Housing Includes People of All Ages, Abilities, and Income Levels

The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) believes that housing is a right for all Pennsylvanians. Our mission is to ensure that housing assistance is available to all, especially those who need it most.

April was National Fair Housing Month. April 11, 2022, marked the 54th anniversary of the enactment of the federal Fair Housing Act, which protects people from discrimination when they are renting or buying a home, getting a mortgage, seeking housing assistance, or engaging in other housing-related activities. Initially, the Fair Housing Act prohibited discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, and national origin. Later, the Act’s protections were expanded to include discrimination on the basis of sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, and familial status.

Pennsylvania has a variety of housing programs and services that can help older adults, people with disabilities, individuals and families with low incomes, or those who are at-risk of or experiencing, homelessness. These programs can connect individuals and families with local assistance in finding somewhere to live, in-home supports, home modifications, and more.

What Type of Housing Assistance is Available?

Here are some of the types of services that exist:

  • Housing search — Tools to locate housing in your area.
  • Homeless shelters — Temporary residences for individuals and families experiencing homelessness.
  • Short-term housing — Housing options that typically offer leases of less than six months.
  • Relocation assistance — Assistance with downsizing and relocation.
  • Assisted living facilities — A long-term senior care option that provides personal care support services such as meals, medication management, bathing, dressing and transportation.
  • Housing modifications — Assistance with home improvements, modifications, and repairs that improve the accessibility, adaptability, and/or design of a home.
  • Home and community-based supports — Services that provide assistance with a variety of activities to help individuals remain in their home or community.

Housing Resources for Pennsylvanians

  • Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (PHFA) Housing Resources
    www.phfa.org
    In the Quick Start Housing Resources section, PHFA and the Self-Determination Housing Project’s Regional Housing Coordinators have compiled local housing and social services resources for every county across the Commonwealth, including variety of housing providers such as housing authorities, homeless services providers, access home modification programs, community action agencies, and more.
  • PA Housing Search
    www.pahousingsearch.com | 1-877-428-8844
    This is a free, online rental and homeownership service that helps people search for housing by topics such as rent amount, area of interest, accessibility, or availability of public transportation. A bi-lingual, toll-free number is also available. On the website, you can also find additional statewide information and resources, including a rental checklist, rent calculator, information on services, transportation, FAQs related to renting, and much more.
  • Public Housing Authorities
    www.hud.gov/pennsylvania
    If you need public housing assistance or information about public housing programs, such as Housing Choice Vouchers (HCVs), please contact your local public housing authority (PHA). The HCV program is the federal government’s major program that assists families with with low incomes, older adults, and individuals with disabilities obtain safe and sanitary housing in the private housing market. Pennsylvania’s list of PHAs and contact information can be found at the above link.
  • PA LINK to Community Care
    www.dhs.pa.gov/PA-Community-Care
    Aging and Disability Resource Centers (ADRC) are a nationwide effort to assist older adults and individuals with disabilities who need help with activities of daily living. The ADRC in Pennsylvania is known as the Link. The PA Link can: easily connect you to local services through any LINK partner agency; help you explore existing options to ensure a secure plan for independence; assist you with applications to determine eligibility; and help you remain in, or return to, your community.
  • Rural Development Multi-Family Rental Housing Search Tool
    rdmfhrentals.sc.egov.usda.gov
    The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s web-based rural housing search tool allows you to click on your county to find information about housing in your area.
  • 2-1-1 United Way
    www.pa211.org | Call: 2-1-1
    PA 2-1-1 is a free resource and information hub that can connect you with customized health, housing, and human services information. By calling 211, you can receive information related to food, housing, employment, health care, along with a variety of other services. PA 2-1-1 also provides a 24/7 confidential phone service and website. For individuals facing a housing crisis, you can also ask for support in learning how to connect to your community’s Coordinated Entry lead and partner agencies. 2-1-1 provides this services in some communities, and can connect you to resources.
  • DHS Emergency Rental Assistance Program 
    dhs.pa.gov/ERAP
    The Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) was created to help renters dealing with financial challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic. For eligible households, the program offers rental and utility assistance to help Pennsylvanians avoid eviction or loss of utility service. Certain PA counties may still have funding available to help landlords and renters at risk of eviction or losing utility services because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

File a Complaint

Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission (PHRC)
In Pennsylvania, fair housing is enforced by the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission (PHRC), under the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act (PHRA). The Act prohibits housing discrimination in the sale, rental, finance, or otherwise to deny or withhold any housing accommodation or commercial property from any person based on race, color, age, religion, national origin, ancestry, disability, sex, familial status, or use of a supportive/service animal for a disability. If you feel you have been the victim of illegal housing and commercial property discrimination, file a complaint or report a bias incident to PHRC:

  • Call the Pennsylvania Fair Housing Hotline at 855-866-5718.
  • Call 717-787-4410 | 717-787-7279 (TTY)
  • Visit one of PHRC’s three regional offices.
    (Regional offices are currently closed due to COVID-19 precautions. Drop boxes for required forms are available in the lobby of the Philadelphia and Pittsburgh offices.)

Pennsylvania Attorney General
The Civil Rights Enforcement Section of the PA Attorney General’s Office protects and advances the rights of Pennsylvanians through the enforcement of state and federal civil rights laws. The office reviews every complaint of a civil rights violation to determine the proper response.

Additional Fair Housing Resources

New Research Report: Access to Maternity Care in Rural Pennsylvania

Posted on by lad3

Dr. Sharon Bernecki DeJoy and Dr. David J. Doorn of West Chester University of Pennsylvania examined access to maternity care in rural Pennsylvania. It included a workforce analysis and a survey of stakeholders and key informants.

The research projected that the supply of obstetricians in rural practice will not increase over the next five years. However, there was a projected growth in the number of midwives and family practice physicians in the next five years, which may partially help with the shortage of obstetricians.

Eighteen rural Pennsylvania counties are or are forecasted to be “maternity care deserts,” where there are not enough providers to ensure access for all pregnant people.

Three broad areas for policy development : recruit more maternity care providers to work in rural areas, encourage innovation in interprofessional maternity care models, and maintain and place resources for maternity care in locations where they are scarce.

Here’s the full report, Access to Maternity and Obstetric Care in Rural Pennsylvania.

CMS to Roll Out ‘Birthing-Friendly’ Hospital Tag on Care Compare Site

Posted on by lad3

From FIERCE Healthcare

The Biden administration wants to add a “birthing-friendly” designation to facilities on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS’) Care Compare website. The designation, announced Tuesday as part of a larger call to action from the White House to address maternal care, would apply to hospitals that provide perinatal care and participate in a maternity care quality improvement collaborative.

CMS is also encouraging states to take advantage of an option in the American Rescue Plan Act to provide a year of postpartum coverage to pregnant women enrolled in Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program.

“No mother should have to fight for her coverage or care during pregnancy or while caring for a newborn,” said CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure in a statement. “CMS is doing everything we can to support the health of new parents and families and to advance health equity across the country.” CMS’ Care Compare website lets consumers compare doctors, hospitals and other providers that participate in Medicare. The agency also announced Tuesday a new structural quality measure for its Hospital Inpatient Quality Reporting Program starting with all discharges from Oct. 1 of this year.

Hospitals will have to attest whether “they participate in a statewide and/or national maternal safety quality collaborative and whether they have implemented the recommended patient safety practices or bundles to improve maternal outcomes,” CMS said in a release.  A hospital that chooses to participate with this measure and others can be considered “birthing-friendly” on Care Compare.

Read more.

RELATED: Behavioral, maternal health worsening among children, women, report finds

April in Brief: HRSA Works to Strengthen and Expand Health Care Access

Posted on by lad3

In April, HRSA announced investments to: support community-based doulas; strengthen home visiting supports for parents, infants, and children; expand our investments in state responses to the maternal mortality crisis; launch the largest investment we’ve ever made in Community Health Worker training; and build new data tools to reduce health disparities through health centers.

HRSA also distributed $1.75 billion in Provider Relief Fund payments, released a Request for Information on ways to strengthen and improve the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network, and launched a new Health Equity Fellowship Program.

In April 2022, the Health Resources and Services Administration took action to support underserved communities, improve maternal health, grow the health care workforce, and reduce health disparities, including:

Health Resources and Services Administration Announces Availability of New Funding to Support Community-Based Doulas
HRSA announced the availability of $4.5 million for hiring, training, certifying, and compensating community-based doulas in areas with high rates of adverse maternal and infant health outcomes.

HRSA Awards $16 Million to Strengthen the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program, Announces $9 Million Available to Expand State Maternal Health Innovation and Implementation Program
HRSA announced approximately $16 million to strengthen Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) Programs through seven awards supporting eight states. These awards will advance data and technology innovations to support positive maternal and child health outcomes in states and communities, and focus on addressing health disparities.

HRSA also announced the availability of up to $9 million through the State Maternal Health Innovation and Data Capacity Program to expand the State Maternal Health Innovation and Implementation Program. This program supports state-level development and implementation of proven strategies to improve maternal health and address maternal health disparities.

HRSA Announces $226.5 Million to Launch Community Health Worker Training Program
HRSA announced the availability of $226.5 million in American Rescue Plan funding to launch the Community Health Worker Training Program. This new program will increase the number of community health workers who play a critical role in connecting people to care, including COVID care; mental health and substance use disorder prevention, treatment and recovery services; chronic disease care; and other important health services.

HRSA Announces $90 Million to Support New Data-Driven Approaches for Health Centers to Identify and Reduce Health Disparities
HRSA announced the availability of nearly $90 million in American Rescue Plan funding to support new data-driven efforts for HRSA Health Center Program-supported health centers and look-alikes to identify and reduce health disparities.

HRSA Distributing $1.75 Billion in Provider Relief Fund Payments to Health Care Providers Affected by the COVID-19 Pandemic
HRSA announced more than $1.75 billion in Provider Relief Fund payments to 3,680 providers across the country. Provider Relief Fund payments have played an important role in the national response to COVID-19, helping health care providers respond to the coronavirus, including retaining and supporting the workforce.

HRSA Releases Request for Information on Ways to Strengthen and Improve the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network
HRSA released a Request for Information (RFI) seeking input on ways to strengthen and improve the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN). The RFI will support HRSA’s efforts to increase accountability in OPTN operations, modernize performance of the OPTN IT system and related tools, and improve engagement with donors and patients. Comments are due by May 9th.

New Opportunities at HRSA for Early-Career Professionals
HRSA also announced the new HRSA Health Equity Fellowship Program to provide early career professionals with an opportunity to contribute directly to the Biden-Harris Administration’s work to advance racial equity and support underserved communities.

See News & Announcements on HRSA.gov.