In signing the Healthcare Anchor Network’s (HAN) Place-based Investing Commitment, health systems commit to redirecting a portion of their investable assets toward impact investments that are place-based and address community conditions that create economic disparities. The goal of these investments is to improve community health and well-being, particularly for those impacted by deep-rooted economic inequities.
Signatories are required to allocate at least 1% or $50 million (whichever is less) of long-term reserves or unrestricted investment fund or pool for place-based impact investments (pensions and other restricted assets are to be excluded from consideration). Moreover, signatories are required to deploy at least the minimum investment amount within five years of creating the allocation. Finally, signatories are required to collect and submit annual data to the Healthcare Anchor Network in order to track collective progress and impact, and to ensure accountability.
Place-based Investing Commitment Signatories
Place-based Investment Commitment Case Studies
CommonSpirit Health’s $5 million investment builds childcare access
HAN member CommonSpirit Health’s Community Investment Program recently provided a $5 million bridge loan to…
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Intermountain Health Place-based Investing Case Study
HAN just released a case study on HAN member Intermountain Health’s Place Based…
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UMass Memorial Health Care Community Investing Program
UMass Memorial Health (UMMH)’s Community Investing Program is explored in a new case…
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Trinity Health’s Community Investing Program
Trinity Health’s Community Investing Program is explored in a new case study. The…
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Kaiser Permanente Thriving Communities Fund
Kaiser Permanente’s Thriving Communities Fund is explored in a new case study. The…
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CommonSpirit Health Community Investing Program
CommonSpirit Health’s Community Investing Program is explored in a new case study. The…
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Rush University System for Health Impact Investing Fund
Rush University System for Health’s (RUSH) Impact Investing Fund (“the Fund”) is explored…
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Intermountain Healthcare Local Impact Investing
Intermountain Healthcare’s local impact investing work is explored in a new case study.…
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Place-based Investment Commitment News Updates
Keep housing affordable for future generations
Healthcare Anchor Network (HAN) members CommonSpirit Health and Intermountain Health invest in Denver-based nonprofit Elevation Community Land Trust (ECLT), that provides permanent affordable housing by purchasing land and reselling or renting the homes on the land. The ECLT model keeps the home affordable by providing residents long-term leases on the land where their homes are located. ECLT also places maximum […]
Reliable housing is essential for good health
Modern Healthcare recognized HAN member Kaiser Permanente for its investments in affordable housing through its Thriving Communities Fund. A recent change in the tax law provides a permanent 12% increase in the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, which creates an opportunity for health systems to partner with states to invest in affordable and supportive housing. From the Modern Healthcare […]
Ensuring affordable housing in perpetuity
HAN members Beth Israel Lahey Health, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston Medical Center, and Mass General Brigham, along with the City of Boston and other institutions, are investing in and providing financial contributions to the Boston Acquisition Fund (BAF) that was just awarded the 2026 Ivory Prize for Housing Affordability in the Finance category. BAF is a public-private revolving loan fund that preserves naturally occurring affordable housing and prevents residential displacement.
Flourishing communities thanks to anchor investing
Healthcare Anchor Network (HAN) member Intermountain Health addresses structural issues through its place-based investing that “lead to people being integrated more fully and healthily into their community.” The Catholic Health Association of the U.S. article details the positive impacts of the investments in financing construction of permanently affordable homes through community land trusts, preserving affordable housing, and lending to people […]
CommonSpirit Health’s $5 million investment builds childcare access
HAN member CommonSpirit Health’s Community Investment Program recently provided a $5 million bridge loan to Step By Step, a Washington State organization that supports new mothers overcoming trauma and poverty. The loan funded construction of The Barn, a 14,000 square foot early learning center that opened in March 2026 and serves 200 children. The investment came at […]
Housing stability strengthens the workforce, economy, and overall community health
HAN member SSM Health is partnering with Dane Workforce Housing Fund II and Lake Ridge Bank to invest in the construction of The Bankston Apartments, an $11.2 million, 40-unit workforce housing development in downtown Madison, WI. The apartments will help address the city’s growing shortage of affordable housing, with 30 of the units slated for […]
Impact Deposits: Strengthening Local Economies Through Mission-Driven Banking
An introduction for health systems, prepared by Healthcare Anchor Network and Avivar Capital When health systems sign Healthcare Anchor Network’s (HAN) Place-based Investing (PBI) Commitment, they commit to redirecting a portion of their long-term investable assets toward geographically-focused impact investments, aimed at improving local conditions that affect community health. Place-based investing supports stronger, more resilient […]
Place-based Investing Overview
Overview of place-based investing with case studies, key strategies, and tips for getting started.
Expanding Place-based Investment Cohort (EPIC)
Congratulations to the three HAN members, Kaiser Permanente (Hawai’i), Memorial Hermann Health System, and SSM Health who completed the Expanding Place-based Investing Cohort (EPIC), co-led by HAN and the Center for Community Investment. EPIC teams worked together over 18 months to understand community investment needs and frameworks, develop impactful community partnerships, and build a place-based investing strategy that advances positive community […]
Allina Health’s Impact Investment in Housing
HAN member Allina Health is a signatory to the HAN Place-based Investing Commitment and has committed 1% ($30 million) of its total investment portfolio for place-based investing to address issues intersecting with social determinants of health, such as affordable housing for homeless households. The health system invested $3 million with the Greater Minnesota Housing Fund (GMHF) to build affordable […]
Trinity Health’s Community Investing Program
Trinity Health’s Community Investing Program is explored in a new case study. The case study covers the program’s history, design and implementation. The purpose of the program is to support projects, or loan pools, that will reduce social and economic disparities that cause unequal health outcomes for minority and low-income communities. These focus areas include […]
Investing in affordable housing to improve health
HAN member Kaiser Permanente’s impact investments in affordable housing continues with project in New Mexico and California. In California, Kaiser Permanente has committed $50 million to the SDS Supportive Housing Fund, an innovative real estate impact fund that is seeking to build up to 1,800 financially sustainable permanent supportive housing (PSH) units for people experiencing homelessness in […]
Health anchors are vital place-based investors
Healthcare anchors have a unique role to play as investors in their communities to improve community health and well-being, particularly for those impacted by a legacy of divestment and discrimination. Many HAN member health systems have committed to redirecting a portion of their investable assets toward impact investments that are place-based and address community conditions that […]
Kaiser Permanente Thriving Communities Fund
Kaiser Permanente’s Thriving Communities Fund is explored in a new case study. The case study covers the program’s inception and design, strategies employed, partnerships, key stakeholders involved. It also explores several of the program’s projects, including the Housing for Health Fund and the SDS Supportive Housing Fund.
Rush University System for Health Impact Investing Fund
Rush University System for Health’s (RUSH) Impact Investing Fund (“the Fund”) is explored in a new case study. The case study covers the Fund’s inception and design, strategies employed, and key stakeholders involved. In addition, it examines Rush’s partnerships with other local anchor institutions through West Side United (WSU) on place-based investing projects. Finally, it […]
Anchor institutions focus on policy change for more impact
Healthcare Anchor Network (HAN) members are investing in and supporting affordable housing. One example is Boston Medical Center, Boston Children’s Hospital, and Brigham and Women’s Hospital providing $3 million over three years for housing stability in Boston through the Innovative Stable Housing Initiative (ISHI). In addition to funding and investing support, HAN members are also working to address upstream […]
Helping Team Members to Purchase Homes
HAN member UC San Francisco partners with Landed, which works with schools and health systems to help employees buy homes through a shared equity down payment program. From the article: “We are thrilled to begin serving UCSF employees and supporting a research university and medical center at the forefront of confronting the public health challenges we face as […]
Healthcare anchors investing in affordable housing to improve health and well-being
Healthcare Anchor Network member CommonSpirit Health, along with UnitedHealthcare and Aetna, has committed $35 million in financing to launch the Home Matters Arizona Fund for affordable housing projects. The project will invest $100 million in phase one to finance community development and affordable housing projects that proactively foster connected and healthier lives. From the Home […]
Preserving affordable housing through anchor impact investing
Healthcare Anchor Network (HAN) member Intermountain Healthcare, along with a group of private institutions including the Clark and Christine Ivory Foundation and Zions Bank, created the Utah Housing Preservation Fund with the goal of raising $100 million to preserve subsidized and “naturally occurring” affordable housing. This year, the Preservation Fund helped secure 24 duplexes that will be rehabbed and targeted for rental to Housing Choice Voucher holders who earn less than 30 percent of Area Median Income.
Place-based Investment Commitment Announcement News Coverage
Health anchors are vital place-based investors
Healthcare anchors have a unique role to play as investors in their communities to improve community health and well-being, particularly for those impacted by a legacy of divestment and discrimination. Many HAN member health systems have committed to redirecting a portion of their investable assets toward impact investments that are place-based and address community conditions that […]
Helping Team Members to Purchase Homes
HAN member UC San Francisco partners with Landed, which works with schools and health systems to help employees buy homes through a shared equity down payment program. From the article: “We are thrilled to begin serving UCSF employees and supporting a research university and medical center at the forefront of confronting the public health challenges we face as […]
Health Collaborative Invests Millions in Dire Communities
In addition to providing quality healthcare, these hospitals and health systems are investing in safe and affordable housing, equitable economic development, small and diverse business development, and other strategies for addressing the social determinants of health. They are also rethinking how to align, leverage, and deploy their human resources and power to create a local economic eco-system […]
Why These Hospitals Have Promised $700 Million for Affordable Housing and More
As the links between physical health and community wealth and vitality become clearer all the time, fourteen regional and national health systems are coming together to commit at least $700 million to investments in affordable housing and economic development in the cities where they’re located. “I think hospitals and health systems are really well poised […]
‘Good neighbors’? U.S. hospitals invest in land, housing to treat crisis
This month, Bon Secours was one of 14 healthcare systems across the United States that committed to over $700 million in “place-based” investments, with a primary goal being the development of affordable housing. They are all part of a group called the Healthcare Anchor Network (HAN), a project of the Washington-based research group Democracy Collaborative.“It […]
Health System Leaders Announce over $700 Million in Investments to Address Health, Housing & Economic Inequalities through Community Wealth Building
Fourteen hospitals and health systems, including national health systems and regional systems, that are the largest private sector employers in California, Utah, and Wisconsin, along with others that are also among the top 20 largest employers in their states, announced a commitment of over $700 million for place-based investing to create strong and healthy communities.
Hospitals to Help Tackle Economic Drivers of Health Disparities
The national campaign marks the first time that a number of large health systems—such as RWJBarnabas Health in New Jersey, UMass Memorial Health Care in Massachusetts, Advocate Aurora Health in Wisconsin, and Intermountain Healthcare in Utah—have collectively pledged to make such impact investments. Kaiser Permanente plans to make one of the largest, at $200 million, to help […]
Why hospitals want to invest in affordable housing
“We’re trying to think about this as a strategy,” says David Zuckerman, director of the Healthcare Anchor Network. “It isn’t a one-time check to the community. This should be one of the ways health systems go back to improving health and well-being for the entire community.” Read the full article at Curbed
Local Coverage of the Place-based Investment Commitment
Many of the initial signatories of the Place-based Investment Commitment received local news coverage of these systems’ commitment to redirecting a portion of their investable assets toward impact investments that are place-based and address community conditions that create racial, economic and environmental disparities. “Advocate Aurora Health to invest $50 million in underserved communities in Illinois, […]
14 Hospital Systems to Collaborate in Addressing Social Determinants of Health
“It’s the first time that systems have acknowledged that this strategy of impact investment should be part of their overall strategy for improving health and well-being in their communities,” Zuckerman said. Read the full article at Nonprofit Quarterly
14 health systems to invest $700 million in community health initiative
Fourteen hospitals and health systems today pledged to commit more than $700 million to address social determinants of health needs in their communities as part of the Healthcare Anchor Network, which works to address social, economic, environmental and behavior-related factors that impact community health outcomes. Read the full article at the American Hospital Association
14 healthcare systems invest $700M in community, reducing health disparities
The health systems are addressing social determinants of health since social, economic, environmental and behavior-related factors account for up to 80 percent of health outcomes. Funds will go towards safe and affordable housing, equitable economic development and small/diverse business development. Read the full article at Becker’s Hospital Review
Why a group of hospitals is investing in affordable housing
The 14 health systems, part of the healthcare anchor network (HAN), are often the largest employers in their communities, and are well-positioned to see where the needs are, according to HAN director Dave Zuckerman. In addition to affordable housing, the hospitals will invest in small business development and other areas to improve the local economy. […]
Health System Leaders Announce over $700 Million in Investments to Address Health, Housing & Economic Inequalities through Community Wealth Building
Washington, D.C., November 5, 2019 – Fourteen hospitals and health systems, including national health systems and regional systems, that are the largest private sector employers in California, Utah, and Wisconsin, along with others that are also among the top 20 largest employers in their states, announced a commitment of over $700 million for place-based investing to create strong and healthy communities.
New $700M investment in social determinants of health
“This is a big shift in the industry,” said David Zuckerman, Healthcare Anchor Network director. The network convenes health systems to share best practices on improving community health and is coordinating the new initiative. Read the full article on Politico



















