Integrating Health and Food Access Into Housing

Affordable housing and homelessness

East LA

Pilot or new project, program, or initiative (testing or implementing a new idea)

Low-income individuals—particularly those who are formerly homeless or extremely low-income—face interconnected barriers to both nutritious food and quality healthcare. In communities like Lincoln Heights, these challenges are compounded by limited transportation, systemic inequities, and few quality options. A 2023 study from the University of Southern California found that the median household income in Lincoln Heights was below $47,000, with 19% of the population living below the federal poverty line, 16% receiving SNAP benefits, and over half the census tracts defined as “food deserts” by the USDA. The 2022 Keck Hospital CHNA noted that 22% of Angelenos rely on community clinics for primary care, and 72% of people delayed or forewent medical care, overwhelmingly due to the cost of care or issues with the health system or provider network. These barriers exacerbate existing health disparities, which, in Lincoln Heights, disproportionately impact Latinx and AAPI communities.

DECRO’s Lincoln Heights Health Hub addresses this gap by co-locating a culturally responsive grocery and farmers market, a federally qualified health center and a wellness center at our newest affordable and permanent supportive housing development, Brine Residential. This integrated model embeds food and healthcare access within affordable housing, promoting dignity, equity, and long-term wellbeing. By co-locating healthcare, food, housing and supportive services, we will not only reduce physical and financial barriers, but also ensure that the Lincoln Heights Health Hub is a space where people can access food and services in a safe, dignified, non-judgmental space. The Health Hub utilizes available commercial space located on the ground floor of the housing development, serving as a vital community resource for both residents at Brine Residential, as well as the larger Lincoln Heights community.

The Lincoln Heights Health Hub will transform how Los Angeles supports food and health equity. By embedding a culturally responsive grocer into affordable housing and co-locating it with a federally qualified health center, the Hub would provide thousands of low-income residents—many formerly homeless—with daily, dignified access to fresh, affordable food and healthcare. This will reduce barriers to access to food and healthcare, improve care coordination, and strengthen the social safety net in the region. This innovative, place-based model would reduce reliance on emergency food systems, improve community health outcomes, and serve as a replicable blueprint for integrated, community-driven solutions across the city.