House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visits Stout Street Clinic
Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, joined U.S. Representatives Diana DeGette and Jared Polis, to highlight the impact of the economic recovery funds on healthcare services at the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless on Thursday, August 6, 2009.
Speaker Pelosi and Members of the Colorado delegation visited the Coalition’s Stout Street Clinic and saw firsthand how the Coalition will be able to meet increased need, improve healthcare systems and create 25 new jobs with $7.8 million in federal recovery funds.
“We see a place of dedicated professionals, working with volunteers, to give the respect that the clients who come here deserve," said Pelosi. “We see a holistic approach where you can’t talk about ending homelessness or addressing it, unless you address the health needs and mental health needs of the clients.”
Part of the funds will enable the Stout Street Clinic to purchase an Electronic Health Records System. A second grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will help the clinic meet the unprecedented increase in demand for mental health services. The largest grant is through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to assist families at risk of losing their homes and create a more coordinated strategy to rapidly re-house families who do end up homeless.
The Coalition has requested additional recovery funds to expand the Stout Street Clinic, to help families at risk of homelessness across the state, and to proceed with a shovel-ready affordable housing development in downtown Denver. If approved, these recovery funds would create another 149 jobs and help the Coalition reach even more homeless individuals and families in need of services.