BHPN July Pulse, the 2-min read that keeps you in the know

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services releases its updated health equity framework , a comparison of health equity by race and ethnicity finally sees the light of day, Amazon commits more money to affordable housing development and the Department of Housing and Urban Development takes over the National Mall .

Data to the rescue: The long-term effects of redlining have been debated for decades but now a new dataset connects the dots on how decades of discriminatory housing practices have impacted public health, sociology and politics in historically-underserved communities. That could be a great help as local leaders work to ensure federal dollars aren’t redirected from communities that need them the most .?

A mental-stress debacle’s brewing: A growing number of cities and state governments are stepping up to lessen the mental stress caused by the experience of homelessness. But, with the inflated cost of building materials affecting developers’ ability to build affordable housing, those efforts may require a lot more creativity.?

Where race, health and place intersect:? Although 81% of public health agency executives and 72% of state and local public health employees polled last year said their work should include addressing racism as a public health crisis, less than 40% said that they were highly engaged in doing so. Build Healthy Places Network and the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors brought national, state, and local leaders together to explore how public health and community development sectors can work together to advance health and racial equity through upstream partnerships. It’s hard work but the resulting Public Health Primer is a good place to start. Click here to see more.?

Rural reboot: A sharp increase in the number of retirees and vacation homeowners in rural communities is driving housing prices up , making it harder for younger people looking to put down roots and raise families there. However,? a revolutionary idea for a government-owned public bank that can partner?with credit unions and other private lenders to boost the number of mortgage and business loans they can provide could help turn the situation around.?

Language matters: The city of Boulder, Colo. plans to allocate as much as $3.8 million to community organizations working to improve health equity for people experiencing systemic socio-economic and health barriers. But with a raft of anti-discrimination lawsuits aimed at eliminating diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives at universities and corporations gaining momentum, local officials may be setting themselves up for legal challenges.

Community development at its best: LGBTQIA+ youth and older adults are especially vulnerable to homelessness and social isolation but community development organizations are stepping up to help support them. This month, BHPN is uplifting the work of CDOs working to end homelessness and ease the loneliness many LGBTQIA+ people experience through the built environment.

Community Development can address the negative health impacts of isolation. This factsheet highlights HELP USA’s Crotona Senior Residences and LGBTQIA+ organization SAGE’s work to establish a friendly, affordable housing development for LGBTQIA+ seniors in New York’s Bronx.

Our second factsheet? shows how?The Delores?Project,?a?nonprofit that?provides shelter and services for?unaccompanied women?and?transgender people, and Rocky Mountain?Communities, an affordable?housing?developer,?jointly developed Arroyo Village. Their partnership?is proof?that community development has a role in preventing and?ending?homelessness for everyone,?especially those most at risk.

The health justice disconnect: While 61% of U.S. adults believe people making lower incomes are more likely to be exposed to environmental hazards than higher earners, only 44% think that communities of color are more likely to be exposed than white communities, even though they are. Thankfully, tools such as the Health Equity Inventory can help healthcare institutions and their community partners bridge the information gap and work collaboratively to advance health equity in the communities that need it most.

A renaissance on Tribal lands:?Tribal investments in rural community centers have been critical in helping the Cherokee Nation preserve its culture . Meanwhile, a new government program aimed at helping tribal members buy homes on Native land in rural areas stands to contribute to the Cherokee Nation’s success, and that of other Tribes, by making housing easier to afford.

And now, in recognition of Juneteenth, let's take a moment to understand how it came to be .? The struggle for freedom never ends so it's up to all of us to remember the injustices of the past so that we can create a truly equitable future for everyone.

This article is a version of BHPN's recent newsletter. If you’re dedicated to improving the health of communities through cross-sector collaboration, join our newsletter for new Build Healthy Places Network updates and resources! Sign up here.