We at UnitedHealthcare Community & State are proud to share we are supporting an exciting collaboration between the Pearl Street Community Development Corporation (Pearl Street CDC) — mission of Pearl St. AME church — Gulf Coast Housing Partnership, Inc. (GCHP), Jackson-Hinds Comprehensive Health Center (known as “Jackson-Hinds”), and other community partners to create affordable housing and a health clinic for seniors in Jackson, Mississippi.
The redevelopment project (known as “The Pearl”) will be located at the former Jackson Southwest Hotel. The certified historic 71,490 square-foot building will be renovated to federal historic rehabilitation standards and transformed into a mixed-use development, including 75 affordable housing units, a manager’s unit, community amenities and a co-located Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC). Several units will be equipped for residents with visual, hearing, and mobility needs. The Pearl will include a fitness center, and the building itself will also receive a Fitwel Certification, which requires building design standards that optimize health, such as material selection for better indoor air quality, aging in place standards, signage that encourages walking, and stair design that encourages usage.
By co-locating a FQHC conveniently in The Pearl development, health care is readily accessible for all residents as well as the surrounding community. In addition, The Pearl is located near a hospital and grocery store, providing important access to health care and healthy food. The Pearl will also provide housing security and address the transportation needs of its residents, all with an aim to improve social drivers of health for its residents.
As part of our commitment to health and housing, UnitedHealthcare is investing $3 million in the redevelopment project.
Pearl Street CDC’s mission is to improve the quality of life for the metro Jackson community, provide educational opportunities and advance economic development by meeting the social needs of families, youth and senior citizens who are underserved. It is the community development arm of Pearl Street AME Church, one of the largest historically African American churches in Jackson, Mississippi.
GCHP is a nonprofit real estate development company based in New Orleans with a mission to revitalize the Gulf Coast through transformative development. Working in partnership with public, nonprofit, and private entities, GCHP works to create vibrant, high-quality communities which are socially and economically integrated, affordable, and sustainable through the production of affordable and mixed-income developments as well as complementary community assets.
Jackson-Hinds will operate the on-site FQHC at The Pearl. Jackson-Hinds is the largest provider of primary health care services to individuals in Mississippi who are underinsured or uninsured. In addition to the on-site FQHC, Jackson-Hinds has committed to assigning a Community Health Worker to residents and associated medical support personnel at the clinic.
This is precisely the type of development that leads to healthier lives. It is a great example of integrating housing and healthcare to better serve people and the entire community. We are proud to be a part of it.
