ASHHI Advancing Functions in Action:

1. ASHHI Advancing Functions in Action: Using Policy, Advocacy and Enforcement Strategies to Advance Healthy Housing

2. Session Overview Presentation Goals Panelists Amy Murphy, Moderator Pamela Shaheen Maricela Foster Mary Sue Schottenfels Beth McKee-Huger Kara Henner Eastman Aaron Haier Nancy Halpern Ibrahim • Raise awareness of ASHHI • Increase knowledge of ASHHI advancing functions • Demonstrate advancing functions in action

3. ASHHI Overview • Broader effort to reduce the health disparities • Initiated in 2012 via six community sites • Reduce asthma, lead poisoning & home health and safety hazards • Advancing philanthropic investment Advancing Safe and Healthy Homes for Children and Families Initiative Sponsored by The Kresge Foundation www.ashhi.org

4. ASHHI Sites • Alameda County, California • Alameda County Community Development Agency • Detroit, Michigan • CLEARCorps Detroit • Greensboro, North Carolina • Greensboro Housing Coalition, Inc. • Newark, New Jersey • Newark Department of Child and Family Well-Being • Omaha, Nebraska • Omaha Healthy Kids Alliance • South Los Angeles, California • St. John’s Well Child & Family Center, Esperanza Community Housing & Strategic Actions for a Just Economy

5. ASHHI Operational Framework

6. Advancing Functions • Policy • Develop relationships & systems that capitalize on existing resources, programs and services • Develop standards for HH interventions • Medicaid reimbursement • Medical-legal partnerships • Advocacy /Community Organizing • Involvement of the community most affected • Assure a community value for healthy housing • Protect tenant rights and help them negotiate government systems • Build community-wide coalitions • Secure political will • Enforcement • Regulatory infrastructure ~ health and housing codes • Use and enforce existing laws and regulations

7. Panel Topics • Alameda • Healthy Homes Alliance & Pilot Proactive Code Enforcement • Detroit • Breaking the Cycle Workgroup: Building Awareness/Building Partnerships • Greensboro • Community Engagement via Bus Tours and HH Summit • Newark • Intra-governmental prioritization & coordination • Omaha • Engaging the medical community to serve children with asthma • South L.A. • Collaborating on referral systems, enforcement, and developing tenant leaders

8. Alameda County Healthy Homes Alliance Mission: • Forum for government, community-based agencies and businesses to develop Healthy Homes policies, strategies and partnerships integrating them into existing housing, health and resource conservation programs.

9. Alameda County Healthy Homes Alliance Overview Objectives Subcommittees Proactive Code Enforcement Standards of Practice Media Strategy • Public policy & enforcement • Information & education • Identify best practices & standards • Build partnerships and broad-based capacity

10. Proactive Rental Inspection Program Overview Status Working with City of Oakland Researching PRI programs Soon introducing model draft ordinance to Oakland Developing ordinances to include lead and mold Pilot project of cross training and joint inspections • Inspects rental housing on a periodic basis to ensure safety and habitability • Doesn’t rely on tenant complaints • Facilitates preventive maintenance • Preserves housing stock & neighborhood condition

11. ACHHA ~ Status & Future Directions • Advocate & implement PRI in partnership with the City of Oakland. • Identify advocacy groups within the ACHHA to facilitate political will in support of PRI. • Develop public will for developing a mold and lead ordinance.

12. CLEARCorps Detroit Breaking the Cycle Workgroup: Building Awareness/ Building Partnerships Mission: To create resources and strategies that help homeowners/ rental property owners to: OBTAIN MAINTAIN and RETAIN THEIR HOMES

13. Principle Strategies • Identify “barrier busting” strategies • Develop key partnerships for resources • Educate families, service providers, and home visitors • Provide intensive case management • Pursue new policies & funding

14. Breaking the Cycle Workgroup • Forum/binder for service providers and community organizations • Addresses barriers to programs and services • Unpaid property taxes • Utility shut-offs • Leaky roofs • Empower buyers to avoid scam purchases

15. Breaking the Cycle Successes REMOVING BARRIERS HELP with BACK PROPERTY TAXES: STEP FORWARD State Program HELP AVOID SCAMS: Producing BUYER BEWARE brochure to avoid scams HELP with ROOF REPAIRS: Bank & Trade Association funding for exterior repairs HELP with ASBESTOS STABILIZATION: Asbestos removal allowing for Weatherization

16. Greensboro Forging Community Will Annual Housing Summits since 2000 • Inspire—poetry, testimonials, children’s art, video • Connect—networking, partnerships • Inform—facts, analysis, trends

17. Write your commitment on a “brick” to build the foundation…

18. Bus Tours since 2004 • 85-105 people each tour • Elected officials—and candidates • Neighbors • Doctors and lawyers • Rental property owners • Faith leaders • Showing the stories of housing problems—and solutions

19. 10th annual bus tour October 2013 • Asthma Triggers—moldy home • Safety—code policies • Cold—energy efficiency upgrades • Lead Risks—remediation

20. Community Will for Healthy Homes Communications Impact City council unanimously votes for code enforcement policy Rental owners invest $2+ million, private donors give $90,000, city commits $870,000 for housing repairs Hospital responds with Asthma Partnership Demonstration • Professional videos of each bus tour • News stories about events and issues, English & Spanish language media • Guest columns in daily news

21. Newark - City Prioritization of HH • Sustainability Office Funding • Healthy Homes Court • Housing Code Modification

22. Newark - City Prioritization of HH • Engagement of Policy Makers • Section 8 Collaboration

23. Omaha Healthy Kids Alliance

24. Partnership with Medical Community • Relationship between housing and children’s medical issues • Provides services to: • children with low levels of lead • for children with asthma • Partnerships with local clinics, medical providers and foster care • Referrals come to OHKA Healthy Home Specialist

25. South L.A.

26. South L.A. • A collaborative effort between three agencies: • St. John’s Well Child & Family Center • Esperanza Community Housing Corporation • Strategic Actions for a Just Economy

27. South L.A. A system of cooperation: • The three organizations work together to identify slum housing conditions and refer residents for appropriate services.

28. South L.A. • Enforcement: When appropriate, information about slum housing conditions is communicated to the City Attorney’s Office. • Target slumlords who own multiple buildings with many units. • Focus on people super-exploiting the poor.

29. South L.A. • Advocacy /Community Organizing: Develop the confidence and leadership of tenants living in substandard housing.

30. Questions?

31. The Kresge Foundation’s Advancing Safe and Healthy Homes for Children and Families Initiative http://www.ashhi.org/