BILOXI, Miss.—For uninsured residents on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, Bethel Free Health Clinic is one of the few places to get care at no cost. Now, clinic leaders said a rent increase tied to federal funding cuts is forcing the nonprofit to raise new money so that it can keep seeing patients.
The volunteer-run clinic offers free primary care, dental services and mental health support. It is open from 8 a.m to 11 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
In March, clinic leaders learned the rent for their space would increase from $1 a year to $2,500 a month. Executive Director Jan Vest said the clinic has secured an agreement that allows it to remain in its current location while it works to cover higher costs.
“We’re going to make it happen,” Vest said. “We were able to come up with a contract that made it possible for us to stay in our current facility.”
For Biloxi resident and former Bethel Clinic patient Shan Daughtery, the change raised concerns about what a closure would mean for people who rely on walk-in care.
“When I found out that there was going to be an increase from just $1 to $2,500 a month, I thought that was such a big jump,” she said. “I felt that now, something so great could be closed down and no longer be beneficial to people in the community, and that’s kind of disheartening, on top of all the other things going on in the world right now.”
Clinic Fills Gap in Care
Bethel Free Health Clinic was founded in 2005 after Hurricane Katrina and originally operated out of Bethel Lutheran Church.
“It was established in 2005 after Hurricane Katrina. It’s staffed by all volunteers,” Vest said.
The clinic later moved into its current space at Suncoast Villas, a property owned by the Biloxi Housing Authority. For years, the clinic paid $1 in rent, a level of support Vest said helped keep costs low.
“I was a medical-practice CEO for 25 years. I know how expensive medical real estate is,” he said. “We probably were subsidized, probably to the tune of a quarter of a million dollars over that period of time, $200,000, $300,000.”
Vest said many of the clinic’s patients are managing chronic conditions and returning for continued care.
“It’s chronic diseases, those folks that we really see, people who can’t afford insulin and haven’t been checked for high blood sugar, or they can’t afford their medications,” he said.
For patients, Daughtery said, the clinic’s walk-in model fills a gap.
“To be able to walk into a clinic, not having an appointment and be seen and treated, that’s a really positive thing in this time, in this community and this economy,” she said.
Federal Cuts Add Pressure
The clinic’s low-cost arrangement depended on the housing authority’s ability to absorb expenses, a balance Vest said became harder to maintain as federal support tightened.
Vest, who is also treasurer for the Hancock County Food Pantry, said the clinic’s challenges connect to pressure on other local services that rely on federal dollars.
“As soon as those budget cuts started, I knew it was going to affect everyone in the service professions, so it hit the hospitals, it hit the housing authority, it hit the free clinics, it hit the food pantries—it hit us all,” he said.
The Biloxi Housing Authority manages 11 affordable housing complexes in Biloxi. While the organization had no comment for this story, Vest said the choice to charge rent follows a $491 million cut in the Public Housing Fund for 2027.
Vest said he understands why the housing authority made the decision.
“(The Biloxi Housing Authority’s) mission is just as important as ours,” he said. “Keeping people from being homeless, young families from being homeless, providing a place for the working poor to be able to afford rent so they can raise their children in safety.”
Clinic Seeks New Support
Vest said the clinic is seeking new funding for rent and other operating costs. He said the staff is also exploring ways to generate income during the days the clinic is closed.
The clinic plans to continue serving patients while it builds new support. In March, leaders launched the 1,000 Good Samaritans campaign, which aims to raise more than $250,000.
For Daughtery, the clinic’s future remains important.
“I really hope that they’re able to get the donations that they need to stay in business,” she said.
This article first appeared on RHCJC and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
