Zócalo Health Launches Community Supports Service, Expanding Access to Housing and Health Services for Medi-Cal Members

Company addresses critical gap between housing insecurity and patient health

SANTA ANA, Calif., Feb. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Zócalo Health, a community-based primary care provider dedicated to serving underserved and underrepresented patients with culturally-relevant care, today announced that it is now a CalAIM Community Supports Provider. This service enables Zócalo Health to provide critical housing support services to Medi-Cal members across California. By adding housing support to its existing Enhanced Care Management (ECM), Community Health Worker (CHW) benefit program, and primary care services, Zócalo Health delivers the holistic, wraparound care members need to achieve stability and better health outcomes.

Examining the link between housing insecurity and health disparities, studies consistently show that individuals experiencing housing instability are significantly more likely to suffer from chronic conditions, mental health challenges, and higher rates of emergency department visits. Through CalAIM's Community Supports, the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) is taking bold steps to address health-related social needs by allowing Medi-Cal Managed Care Plans (MCPs) to offer housing-related support as a covered service. Zócalo Health has stepped up to expand its services to provide these essential supports.

"At Zócalo Health, we recognize that housing is healthcare," said Erik Cardenas, CEO of Zócalo Health. "In our experience, members who need both medical care and housing assistance are all too often forced to navigate fragmented systems that don't communicate with each other. By integrating housing support directly into our care model, we provide a seamless experience that ensures our members get the services they need, when they need them, without unnecessary barriers. This is the future of whole-person care."

A Comprehensive Approach to Housing and Health

Zócalo Health's Community Supports Program is designed to help members secure and maintain stable housing, reducing preventable hospitalizations and improving overall quality of life. Services include:

• Housing Transition and Navigation Services: Helping members find and secure housing with personalized assistance, including housing search support, application assistance, and move-in coordination.
• Housing Deposits Assistance: Providing financial support for security deposits, first and last month's rent, utility deposits, and essential home goods to help overcome financial barriers to housing.
• Housing Tenancy and Sustaining Services: Supporting members in maintaining stable housing through lease comprehension education, life skills coaching, landlord-tenant mediation, and social integration support.
• Day Habilitation Programs: Offering community-based programs that help members develop life skills, improve social connections, and enhance overall well-being through peer support, wellness workshops, and community engagement activities.

As a trusted Community Supports provider, Zócalo Health provides turnkey solutions that allow managed care plans to efficiently implement CalAIM initiatives, ensuring compliance with state goals while maximizing health equity and cost savings. Its comprehensive approach to patient wellbeing reduces avoidable hospitalizations and promotes long-term stability by not only assisting with housing and traditional medical care, but also helping members develop life skills, connect with social resources, and achieve greater independence. This results in healthier individuals and communities.

Zócalo Health's proven ability to engage hard-to-reach populations, deliver measurable outcomes, and foster collaboration makes it the preferred partner for health plans and community-based organizations across California (see plans Zócalo Health currently supports here). If your health plan is looking for a trusted partner to deliver high-quality Community Supports services that drive better health outcomes and lower costs, go to www.zocalo.health/for-health-plans to find out more and connect with a Zócalo Health representative.

About Zócalo Health

Zócalo Health is a Medi-Cal credentialed primary care and CalAIM provider dedicated to improving healthcare access for underserved communities. Our innovative virtual-first model pairs primary care providers with local community health workers, offering a holistic, culturally centered approach to care. By integrating Enhanced Care Management, Community Supports, and direct primary and urgent care services, we provide comprehensive care that meets members where they are. At Zócalo Health, we believe that healthcare should be accessible, equitable, and tailored to the needs of the communities we serve. Our providers and services are available to counties across California. Learn more at www.zocalo.health.

SOURCE Zócalo Health