Homelessness disproportionately impacts Black communities due to systemic inequities in housing, income, and access to care. Nearly 48% of people experiencing homelessness in California also face complex behavioral health challenges. Roots' STOMP (Street Team Outreach Medical Program) brings healthcare directly into Oakland encampments and connects individuals to care through offering "no wrong door" access to healthcare, housing support, meals, showers, and job assistance.
Homelessness disproportionately impacts Black communities due to systemic inequities in housing, income, and access to care. Nearly half (48%) of people experiencing homelessness in California have complex behavioral health needs, regular drug use, heavy drinking, hallucinations, or recent psychiatric hospitalization (Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative, UCSF, March 2025). Our STOMP program removes these barriers-because housing is healthcare.
Every Wednesday at Roots in East Oakland, those relationships continue through Welcome Wednesday, a walk-in day where individuals can receive "no wrong door" access to primary care, behavioral health counseling, housing services, hot meals, showers, and job assistance. Because we know firsthand how closed doors can negatively impact our most marginalized individuals. And trust is how we create a healthcare home. Little by little, we make a difference and become a home for our patients.
Roots concluded that the greatest barrier to good health among our community was poverty itself, and that it is our responsibility to directly intervene. We also determined that community and data are both integral to creating and perfecting effective solutions. Therefore, Roots hires from the community, creates space for access to healthcare and employment, civic engagement, facilitates community involvement, and leverage data that directly empowers our community to heal and thrive.
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