**Maurice Patterson, National CORE’s Downey View Community Manager, gives Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard a tour of The View, an affordable housing development in downtown Downey.**

DOWNEY — During a Nov. 12 tour highlighting four of National CORE’s affordable housing communities in the 40th Congressional District, National CORE chairman of the board and founder Jeff Burum presented Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard with the Daniel R. Fauske Award for her support of affordable housing.

Roybal-Allard shares National CORE’s belief that housing is a healthcare issue – and that collaboration between the housing and healthcare sectors is necessary to address the housing crisis.

Also on the tour was former Congressman Alan Mollohan, now a member of the National CORE Board of Directors, and his wife, Barbara, who have both been close friends with the congresswoman and her husband since their time in congress together.

“The part of the initiative that you [Rep. Roybal-Allard] were so helpful with was the idea, which is science based, of using Medicaid dollars and waivers through HHS to make that applicable to rental subsidies,” Mollohan said on the tour. “The principle being that people who are chronically using emergency rooms are sicker because they don't have housing, they don't have that stability in their life.”

On June 29, Roybal-Allard voted to advance legislation that would create more flexibility for how Medicaid dollars can be used, potentially opening the door for Medicaid to be used in the future to help house chronically homeless individuals and families.

Following National CORE’s suggestion, Roybal-Allard included language in a House Appropriations Committee report directing the Department of Health and Human Services to create a report detailing the ways in which Medicaid funds could be used for affordable housing and resident services.

The connections between healthcare and housing, and potential for cross-sector collaboration, have also been a central point of focus for National CORE President and CEO Steve PonTell.

“Everyone in society deserves to have the opportunity for an affordable home, and society as a whole would benefit greatly from the increased availability of affordable housing options,” said PonTell. “If we get every person in America housed, we will create a much healthier society with longer life expectancy, less emergency room visits, and less taxpayer dollars going towards unpaid medical bills.”

Roybal-Allard and Mollohan visited The View in Downey, Park View Terrace in Bell Gardens, and Alta Vista and a National CORE construction site at 3rd and Dangler in East LA.

“I thank the team at National CORE for this award and for their dedication to providing affordable housing for those in need,” said Rep. Roybal-Allard. “Access to affordable housing is directly related to the health of our communities, and I was proud to cast my vote in support of exploring how Medicaid funding could be used to help homeless individuals and families.

“I also thank National CORE and my friend and former colleague Alan Mollohan for the tour of these affordable housing facilities and for the updates on what National CORE is doing to keep Angelenos housed and healthy.”

Congresswoman lauded for support of affordable housing