USA: Flexible apartment living membership company Landing has launched its Homes for Healing initiative, which provides free housing for families travelling with a child to receive long-term medical treatment.
By offering move-in ready apartments to such families at no cost, the initiative is designed to remove the stress of finding accommodations as they travel, while ensuring they can receive the best care possible regardless of location or financial resources.
The programme was inspired by the personal experience of Landing founder and CEO, Bill Smith, who sought medical care for his own daughter, who was born with CHARGE, a rare genetic disorder.
At the time, the specialised treatment she needed was unavailable near the Smith family’s home, so they travelled back and forth from Birmingham, Alabama, to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia to seek treatment. Their treatment journey inspired Smith to launch the programme through Landing.
Smith said: “As a parent, your child’s health and safety is your top priority, and you’ll do whatever it takes to ensure they get the care they need. It’s something our family navigated firsthand, and we’re thankful to have the opportunity to make that process a little easier for those who are going through a similar experience.”
The initiative was piloted in Birmingham in 2021, and at the time of its official launch, Homes for Healing will initially operate in four cities: Birmingham; Phoenix; Chicago; and Denver, with plans to continue its expansion across the United States. To date, the initiative has provided more than 2,500 nights of housing to 40 families across the country, saving each family an average of $14,561 in medical-related travel and housing costs.
The company’s extensive nationwide network of fully furnished homes is helping families navigate similar situations by providing lodging that is comfortable and close to the treatment facilities.
Eligible families are referred to the enquiry portal by their care team or social worker. Landing then works with each family individually to assess and meet their unique needs.
In October, Landing announced a reorganisation of its operations, with 110 jobs cut in the United States and another 70 employees being relocated to different locations around the country.
It came less than two months after the firm closed a $125 million Series C round through a combination of new equity and debt financings, which was led by growth equity firm Delta-v Capital.
