July 9, 2026
Legal support leads to safer housing and better health
By partnering with legal advocates, our care team helped Mary Morales address a housing challenge and secure a safer home, improving her well-being and peace of mind.
Mary Morales knows how much her home can affect her health.
“When I was 18, I was shot,” she said. “I have seizures, and my right arm is paralyzed.”
For years, she managed her health. But her second-floor apartment in Oregon made daily life much harder — and unsafe.
“I had to walk the 25 steps up and 25 steps down,” she said. “I fell twice. I hit my head.”
During a medical visit, her care team learned about the stairs. Each trip put her at risk. She needed more than medical care.
How medical-legal partnerships help
Situations like Morales’ are why Kaiser Permanente uses medical-legal partnerships.
These partnerships bring together health care teams and legal experts to solve problems that affect health — like unsafe housing, income loss, or access to basic needs. When we address these issues early, we can help prevent bigger health problems later.
She was also worried that if she asked for too much help she could be evicted, so she stopped going out. Liliana Herrera Acosta, community health worker
We work with community health workers and legal partners, including Legal Aid Services of Oregon, to support our members. Together, we look beyond medical needs and focus on what’s happening in a person’s daily life.
We now offer medical-legal partnerships in California, Colorada, Georgia, Maryland, and Oregon. Since 2023, we’ve invested $8.6 million in this work to help more people get the support they need.
This work is part of our broader effort to improve health in the communities we serve.
Making a change
Morales’ care team connected her with a Kaiser Permanente community health worker, Liliana Herrera Acosta, who took time to understand her situation.
“She was scared to leave her apartment because she might get hurt,” Herrera Acosta said. “She was also worried that if she asked for too much help she could be evicted, so she stopped going out.”
Morales had already asked her property manager to move her to a ground-floor unit. Nothing changed.
So, using our medical-legal partnership, Herrera Acosta got Morales help from an attorney. The attorney made a formal request to the landlord. This time, it worked.
Morales moved to a downstairs apartment. The change was immediate.
“Having a downstairs apartment has made me feel secure,” she said. “I haven’t been falling. I feel 100% safe.”
Why it matters
Safe housing plays a big role in health. When people feel secure at home, they’re less likely to get hurt or become sicker.
By addressing social needs early, we can solve problems before they become crises. In fact, we’ve found that 8 out of 10 issues referred to our medical-legal partnership program can be resolved quickly — in less than 5 hours. And most issues don’t require formal legal action.
Today, Morales can move around without fear. She goes out more and feels more like herself. Her health has improved.
“The medical-legal partnership made it very easy,” she said. “I am so grateful for the care and support I’ve received.”
