Health Initiatives
Access to healthy, affordable food and quality, affordable healthcare are among the social determinants of health - the physical, social, and economic conditions in a person’s community and everyday life that affect health outcomes.
Affordable, fresh food is a critical ingredient of a healthy community and one of the keys to upending chronic, nutrition-related diseases like obesity and diabetes that plague underinvested neighborhoods. Yet over 500,000 residents in metro Atlanta live in food deserts – low-income communities located more than one mile from a reliable source of fresh produce and other healthy whole foods.[22] A 2011 Food Trust study concluded that people who live in metro Atlanta food deserts are more likely to die from nutrition-related sicknesses like diabetes and heart disease.[23]
Though Georgia has among the largest number of hospitals in the country, access to healthcare varies for Georgia residents. Metro Atlanta has among the highest uninsured population among the largest metro-areas in the country. The safety net services - Federally Qualified Health Clinics, county health departments, and organizations providing primary care to uninsured residents – likely only meet about 35% of the projected need in metro Atlanta. [24]
LISC ATL provides grants and loans to develop projects that improve the health of individuals in disinvested neighborhoods.
How we do it
- We deploy grants and loans to develop grocery stores, mental health clinics, community health centers, day cares, community gardens, urban farms, and other enterprises that support community health
- We expand access to mobile health clinics at MARTA stations, outdoor spaces, and housing developments
Project Highlight: Grady Health System’s Center for Advanced Surgical Services
The Grady Health System has served as the Atlanta region’s safety net hospital for over 100 years and is the primary trauma center in Atlanta. Grady frequently reached bed and operating room capacity, limiting growth and access to care. The impacts of COVID-19 added additional strain, leading the hospital to delay or cancel life-altering surgeries and procedures to make room for emergent situations.
LISC, through its affiliate the New Markets Support Company, invested $5M in New Market Tax Credits to support the construction of Grady’s new Center for Advanced Surgical Services (CASS). CASS will add 50 beds for emergent and inpatient services and will expand Grady’s surgical clinic capacity by 45% and surgery capacity by 25%.
Healthy Future Funds
LISC has joined forces with Morgan Stanley and The Kresge Foundation to form the $200 million Healthy Futures Fund (HFF), an initiative to improve community health.
Loan Products
LISC has a variety of flexible lending products designed to help local groups bring development projects to fruition. Our loans cover every phase of development, from predevelopment to permanent financing.
[22] www.atlantamagazine.com/great-reads/stranded-in-atlantas-food-deserts/.
[23] http://thefoodtrust.org/uploads/media_items/grocerygap.original.pdf
[24] https://georgiaopportunity.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Increasing-Access-to-Quality-Healthcare.pdf