The CARES Foundation Awards One Community Health as Grantee Spotlight for 2025

Serving the Sacramento Region Since 1989

One Community Health (OCH) is a federally qualified health center serving the Sacramento region with comprehensive primary care, behavioral health, and specialized HIV services. Founded in 1989 as the Center for AIDS Research, Education and Services (CARES) in response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic, OCH continues to provide culturally responsive care for people living with HIV while expanding prevention services for communities most affected by the epidemic.

2025 Accomplishments Supported by CARES Foundation Grant

OCH’s Bridging Health and Housing Project expanded housing navigation services for people living with HIV experiencing housing instability. In 2025, OCH provided housing navigation services to 213 unduplicated people living with HIV, helping patients navigate housing applications, advocate with landlords, and access financial assistance for move-in costs and other urgent needs. Supplemental Housing Support funds supported by the CARES Foundation grant offered flexible assistance when other housing programs were unavailable or had restrictive eligibility requirements. These efforts resulted in 58 individuals securing permanent housing, surpassing the project’s goal of 40 placements.

Strengthening Community Housing Partnerships

OCH also strengthened partnerships with the local housing community, establishing relationships with 16 landlords and property managers willing to work with patients facing barriers such as limited income, prior evictions, or housing discrimination. This network helps people living with HIV, including those newly diagnosed or reconnecting to care, access stable housing as they begin or re-engage in treatment

The Human Impact of Stable Housing.

The impact of this work is often life-changing and not easy to capture in numbers. One long-time OCH patient living with HIV faced homelessness after serious medical complications left him hospitalized for an extended period. Through the advocacy of OCH’s Housing Navigator, he was placed in a supportive room-and-board home that provides meals, transportation, and assistance with medical needs. With stable housing and community support, he has been able to manage his health and rebuild stability in his life.

Looking Ahead: Expanding Street Medicine in 2026

Building on this work, OCH received a CARES Foundation grant to fund a new initiative that embeds HIV services into its Street Medicine program in 2026. The program is bringing HIV medical care and treatment support to people living with HIV who are newly diagnosed or disconnected from care, while expanding prevention services, including PrEP and PEP, for HIV-negative individuals at risk for HIV. PLWH also are getting access to Foundation supported housing navigation and supplemental housing assistance, while HIV-negative individuals are connected to other housing resources not linked to HIV status.