• Funds to support 25 tiny homes and the implementation of a new crisis response program

SACRAMENTO, Calif., July 30, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Health Net, one of California's most experienced Medi-Cal managed care health plans and a Centene Corporation (NYSE: CNC) company, announced a $1.3 million grant to the City of Redondo Beach. The funds will help purchase an additional 25 housing units for the city's Pallet Shelter program, which provides temporary housing for people experiencing homelessness while subsequently connecting individuals to case management and wraparound services that assist with permanent housing opportunities.

The grant will also support the implementation of an Alternative Crisis Response (ARC) pilot program, which provides wraparound services for an individual's physical and behavioral health, including trauma-informed care, crisis de-escalation services, in-person intervention and transportation to behavioral health services for the unhoused population of Redondo Beach.

"Investing in solutions for those facing homelessness is a strategic imperative for building stronger, more resilient communities," said Plan Chief Product President at Health Net, Martha Santana-Chin. "Our continued commitment goes beyond philanthropy; it's about creating sustainable change at the local level and offering support where it's needed most."

"Redondo Beach City Council and Health Net have been strong community leaders, partnering with the County on compassionate and dignified solutions," said Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell. "They have really stepped up to implement solutions we know work, including housing and wrap-around services. It's an honor to support Redondo Beach's pallet shelter expansion with an $800,000 award from the 2nd district homelessness funds."

The pallet homes are 64-square-foot residences equipped with heating, air conditioning and electricity. The homes will also have on-site restrooms, showers and 24-hour security. Service providers of the ARC will respond to non-violent mental and behavioral health service calls. With the successful execution of ARC, Redondo Beach officials hope to light the way for an expansion into other California regions who could benefit from the approach.

"We are excited to partner with Health Net to provide a mobile mental health response in collaboration with our public safety and homeless outreach teams. This service is essential in getting people the relevant care they need, at the time they need it," said Redondo Beach Council Member Paige Kaluderovic.

"Mental health care is a critical area of need for a significant number of people who are homeless, and therefore we can't meaningfully address homelessness without vastly improving our public mental health system," said Redondo Beach City Attorney Michael Webb. "We are so appreciative that Health Net has stepped up to make such an important investment in providing needed mental health services which will greatly improve the lives of those who will benefit from these additional services."

This work is part of Health Net's ongoing commitment to addressing homelessness throughout Los Angeles County. Since 2023 alone, the company has invested more than $39 million in grants to bring shelter, medical care and behavioral health services to the unhoused to improve health outcomes for the unhoused in California, including:

• A $34 million grant awarded to the County Executive Office – Homeless Initiative to support unit acquisition and activities of daily living expansion to get and keep people housed.
• A $1.5 million grant awarded to Keck School of Medicine of USC's Street Medicine program to enable street medicine workforces across the state to better serve people who are unsheltered.
• A $136,000 grant to the CA Street Medicine Collaborative to ensure the sustainability and expansion of their work to support the ongoing growth of street medicine statewide.
• Offering housing transition navigation services, housing deposits and housing tenancy and sustaining services as a key partner in the state's implementation of California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal and Community Supports.

Today's announcement is part of Centene's commitment to advance health equity and address drivers of health (DOH) such as access to affordable and stable housing. In May, Centene announced a $900 million multiyear partnership with McCormack Baron Salazar (MBS) to construct new affordable housing communities in eight states. The partnership is intended to address the critical lack of affordable housing impacting many economically vulnerable populations for whom Centene provides vital healthcare services.

About Health Net 

Founded in California more than 45 years ago, Health Net, a company of Centene Corporation, believes that every person deserves a safety net for their health, regardless of age, income, employment status or current state of health. Today, we provide health plans for individuals, families, businesses of every size and people who qualify for Medi-Cal or Medicare. With more than 90,000 of our network providers, Health Net serves more than three million members across the state. We also offer access to substance abuse programs, behavioral health services, employee assistance programs and managed healthcare products related to prescription drugs. We make these health plans and services available through Health Net, LLC and its subsidiaries: Health Net of California, Inc., Health Net Life Insurance Company and Health Net Community Solutions, Inc. These entities are wholly owned subsidiaries of Centene Corporation (NYSE: CNC), a leading healthcare enterprise committed to transforming the health of the communities we serve, one person at a time. Health Net and Centene employ more than 5,700 people in California who work at one of five regional Talent Hub offices. For more information, visit www.HealthNet.com.