For Patients Behind on Rent, L.A. Health Center Provides a Lifeline

Thinking about her housing situation almost brought Sonia to tears. It's the second time the 49-year-old, who asked that only her first name be used for privacy reasons, has been at risk of homelessness in Los Angeles. The first was when she decided to leave an abusive relationship.

Three months behind on her rent, and with children far away, and no other family in the area, Sonia described her housing situation to staff at St. John's Community Health Center. Now, she's enrolled in a social service program that will help her catch up on rent payments and, within the month, keep her in her home.

Anxiety and unstable housing could negatively affect her health. Historically, community health centers have always worked to address social ills to improve health outcomes. For St. John's, this has shown up through their housing, food, and domestic violence programs, among other resources.

More recently, the health center became one of seven community organizations to participate in the Mayor's Fund, a community partnership initiative to help Angelenos stay housed. It's one of several initiatives across L.A. County that have helped decrease the homeless and unhoused rates and lessen the emotional toll for L.A. residents.

The Mayor's Fund aims to prevent homelessness altogether. St. John's joined the initiative in 2023, and health center staff act as caseworkers. They refer patients who may be struggling with housing instability by filling out paperwork and making calls on patients' behalf. Participants can be connected to assistance for utilities, groceries, legal assistance, and healthcare.

Prior to the Los Angeles wildfires, homelessness across L.A. County had decreased for two straight years through programs and initiatives aimed at preventing housing instability. From 2024 to 2025, homelessness had dropped by 4%, and unsheltered homelessness decreased by 9.5% countywide, according to the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority.

Sonia was recommended for rental assistance through the Mayor's Fund while picking up medications after seeing her primary care physician. She had expressed mounting stress during her appointment for late rent payments.

A predominantly Spanish speaker, Sonia told Direct Relief through translator Diana Nunez that she wanted to cry.

"I'm very anxious, and I'm going through a really rough time," she told Nunez, the program supervisor for The Mayor's Fund at St. John's. She trains staff to become case workers and exhibits a level of empathy that makes patients feel comfortable enough to share information.

"I feel good at the clinic," Sonia said through Nunez. "I can get my medications, and I feel supported because they listen to me when I'm speaking."

Throughout the conversation, Nunez told Sonia that she was there to help. Nunez's empathy comes from her own lived experience of financial struggle in the same community. Now, she instructs caseworkers to lead with compassion in hopes that their work will alleviate the anxiety and depression some of their patients face.

"We meet them where they're at and really talk to them," Nunez said. "I'm part of this community, and I want to be able to meet you where you are and show you that you can trust me and that we're here to resolve, or at least lead you to a resolution of what you're going through."

St. John's operates 28 health centers and mobile clinics across the Inland Empire and South Los Angeles, which Nunez said was a vulnerable community before the wildfires.

In recent years, the Los Angeles City Department of City Planning has reported the area as predominantly Black, with a continuously growing population of Latinx residents. Nunez said that a lot of their patients are low-wage earners, employed through domestic work, food service, and construction, among other trades.

The area has a high cost of living. When the wildfires broke out last winter, most of St. John's patients were unaffected from a housing standpoint. However, many lost their jobs and have struggled to afford housing. In other situations, household breadwinners have been detained, making it difficult for remaining family members to maintain their households.

Nunez said that since the wildfires, St. John's has made the referral service available online to make it easier for patients to request assistance.

"It's important for you to feel that your doctor's office is your safe place, especially St. John's. It's a familiar face," said Nunez. "Because depression and anxiety (can) come from this…and for people with chronic conditions like diabetes, it's (more difficult) when more life problems are in your back-pocket."

For Sonia, the health center staff helped her apply for rental assistance. They learned that her landlord is a participant in the L.A. Rent Relief Program and is less likely to pursue eviction if she pays back the owed rent.

For other patients, St. John's has helped with the eviction process through paperwork to ensure their patients have access to court determinations.

Sonia told Nunez that the health center helped her just by explaining the process. She's since told neighbors and friends that the health center is the place to go if they need help.

"I tell them don't be afraid to ask," she told Nunez.

Direct Relief has provided $1.6 million in medical support to St. John's Community Health Center to support patient care.