Today, Mercy Health – Lima announced a new Down Payment Assistance program available to associates and affiliated partners of the health system who wish to purchase homes in the neighborhood around the hospital campus in Census Tract 129. The Down Payment Assistance program is a forgivable loan of 10% of the purchase price of the home, up to $10,000, when the associate purchases a primary residence in Census Tract 129.
These loans are available on a first come first serve basis for both employed Mercy Health associates and partner associates in the Lima market including those directly employed by Ensemble, HHS, Compassus, CBRE and more. “As a health system, we recognize that the factors that drive individual and community health extend beyond the walls of our hospitals. In fact, conditions of housing and neighborhoods are one of the most important predictors of a person’s health,” said Ronda Lehman, president, Mercy Health – Lima.
“Every family deserves to live in a safe and affordable home where they have the opportunity to thrive, and we are thrilled to offer this unique benefit to our associates looking to establish roots while navigating this challenging economy.” This program is one of many steps Mercy Health has taken to support Census Tract 129, the neighborhood in which St. Rita’s Medical Center is located. The area has been the focus of community health and revitalization efforts for Mercy Health and our community partners.
Over the years St. Rita’s has sponsored reading parks, cooking classes, immunizations, education, and more in Census Tract 129. With a focus on addressing safe housing, which is one of the most influential social determinants of health, Mercy Health is also working alongside a local LLC to support the work to purchase and renovate homes, then resell to homeowners at workforce-affordable prices.
The collective goal is to increase the levels of home ownership in the neighborhood, which will in turn offer opportunities to improve the health status of the community. This new down payment assistance program was shared internally with associates this week. “We are proud to launch this program and are hopeful that our dedicated associates will take advantage of this unique offering. We look forward to assisting our associates in home ownership and gaining some new neighbors in the process,” said Lehman.