Stress Related To Housing Insecurity A Public Health Crisis In Oakland
Most notably, officials are worried about rapidly increasing asthma and hypertension rates.
San Francisco Chronicle:
Public Health Problems In Oakland Linked To Housing Crisis
The high cost of housing has created a public health crisis in Oakland, Dr. Muntu Davis, head of the Alameda County Public Health Department, said during a news conference at Oakland City Hall on Tuesday. Hypertension and asthma rates are increasing as residents grapple with increased rents and lack of stability. The associated stress can cause depression, anxiety and even schizophrenia, according to a new study by the Health Department and the Oakland research firm PolicyLink Center for Infrastructure Equity. (Swan, 8/30)
In other news from across the state —
Santa Rosa Press Democrat:
Sonoma County Supervisors Approve $630,000 To Support Homeless Services
Sonoma County’s effort to prioritize housing for homeless people got another boost Tuesday when the Board of Supervisors signed off on more than $630,000 to fund outreach services targeting youth, newly homeless and those who are chronically without shelter. The funding, spread between three Sonoma County nonprofits, expands outreach efforts to Sonoma Valley and extends work in Santa Rosa and along the lower Russian River, two of the areas with the greatest concentration of homeless people in the county. The board action also continues the county’s safe parking program that allows people to sleep in vehicles overnight at nine Santa Rosa sites. (Hart, 8/30)
Ventura County Star:
Free Dental Clinic Draws Big Lines, Desperate Needs
Every year, the California Dental Group stages free clinics to help people who can't afford emergency care for problems ranging from cavities to infected gums. Every year, people flood the place. They stand in line for hours, pushed by needs they say fall between the cracks of the health care system...By the time the doors opened at 9 a.m., nearly 100 people waited. Three times that many people sometimes show up for the annual free care events held at many of California Dental Group's seven sites across Southern California. The clinic's founder, Dr. Kamran Sahabi, started the free care programs because 40 percent of the group's patients can't afford the care they need. (Kisken, 8/30)