Model programs from Massachusetts, Washington and California awarded
WASHINGTON, D.C. – (RealEstateRama) — Recognized for their excellence in promoting resident health through housing interventions, three model programs in Massachusetts, Washington and California are winners of the second annual HUD Secretary’s Award for Healthy Homes. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) selected:
- Boston Residential Investigation on Green and Healthy Transitions (BRIGHT) in Boston, Massachusetts;
- Yesler Terrace Breathe Easy Program in Seattle, Washington;
- Regional Asthma Management Program in Oakland, California
Today, the awards were presented at the NEHA 2016 AEC and HUD Healthy Homes Conference in San Antonio, Texas. Each awardee demonstrated that their activities or policies showed measurable benefits in the health of lower income residents.
“Through collaboration and evidence-based policy, these organizations are creating sustainable environments where families are healthy and thriving” said HUD Secretary Julián Castro. “I applaud the winners for their commitment to sparking innovative development in their communities, and I look forward to our continued work together in making American city’s places of big dreams and possibilities.”
The 2016 HUD Secretary’s Healthy Homes Award recognizes excellence in healthy housing innovation and achievement in three categories:
Healthy Homes Innovation and Achievement in Cross Sector Coordination among Health, Environment and Housing:
Yesler Terrace Breathe Easy Program – The Seattle Housing Authority (SHA) launched the Yesler Breathe Easy Program in 2015 to bring healthy homes and vibrancy to an old public housing development originally built for low-income families and to provide one-on-one visits from trained community health workers. The program is a product of multiple interventions the SHA has proven to be effective over a decade of redevelopment. The program uses evidence based practices to make gains in improving resident health, especially to those suffering from asthma and other respiratory illnesses. The Yesler Breathe Easy Program has brought two brand new affordable multifamily residential buildings to Yesler Terrace that integrate innovative programming and healthy living and plans to bring more in the next five years. Each building incorporates design features which protect residents from dust and pollutants that contribute to an unequal burden of respiratory disease.
Healthy Homes Innovation and Achievement in Public Policy:
Regional Asthma Management Program – The Regional Management Program (RAMP), in partnership with the California Healthy Housing Coalition (CHHC), has become an advocate for healthy housing conditions and respiratory health in California state policy and housing practices. RAMP’s strong relationships and collaborations with healthy housing stakeholders and CHHC, along with their development of strategic, innovative approaches to state policy advocacy makes the program a champion for health and environmental sustainability. The coalition first developed and passed a series of legislation over a period of three years to help transform the approach landlords and code enforcement officers take to infestations, and secondly helped make California the first state in the country to explicitly make mold an enforceable substandard housing condition.
Healthy Homes Innovation and Achievement in Public Housing/ Multifamily Supported Housing:
Boston Residential Investigation on Green and Healthy Transitions (BRIGHT) – The Boston Residential Investigation on Green and Healthy Transitions (BRIGHT) is an ongoing, collaborative effort to measure the effect of redevelopment projects on three public housing developments moving toward environmental sustainability. BRIGHT study teams administered a health survey and conducted both environmental samples and visual inspections to determine the success of the city’s strategic sustainability plans. Results show significant reductions in pests, mold, and inadequate ventilation. One year later, BRIGHT study teams continue to quantify a variety of metrics including energy savings, air quality, prevalence of asthma, energy and water consumption, work order requests
, and resident health and satisfaction. This initiative is a one of many that the Boston Housing Authority has undertaken over the past 15 years to institutionalize healthy, green principles into their housing policies and business practices.
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HUD’s mission is to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all.
More information about HUD and its programs is available on the Internet
at www.hud.gov and http://espanol.hud.gov.
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Shantae Goodloe
202-708-0980
http://www.hud.gov/news/index.cfm
