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Marianne Sullivan, MPH, Epidemiology, Planning and Evaluation Unit, Public Health: Seattle & King County, 999 3rd Ave., Suite 1200, Seattle, WA 98104, 206-205-0561, marianne.sulllivan@metrokc.gov, James W. Krieger, MD, MPH, Epidemiology, Planning and Evaluation Unit, Public Health - Seattle & King County, 999 Third Avenue, Suite 1200, Seattle, WA 98104, Denise Tung Sharify, Neighborhood House-High Point, 6564 32nd Ave. SW, Seattle, WA 98126, Tom Phillips, Seattle Housing Authority, 3136 SW Holly Street, Seattle, WA 98126, and Tim K Takaro, MD, MPH, MS, Occupational & Environmental Medicine Program, University of Washington, 4225 Roosvelt Way NE, Suite 100, Seattle, WA 98115.
The Seattle Housing Authority, Neighborhood House and Public Health-Seattle & King County, and are partnering to incorporate healthy homes building specifications and healthy community principles into the redevelopment of a (120 acre) public housing project. The redevelopment will be a mixed-income, mixed-tenure, multigenerational, 1600 unit, in-city neighborhood. The construction specifications for all homes exceed code for energy efficiency and ventilation. We are also building 35 “Breathe Easy” units with features to reduce asthma triggers: hard floors, enhanced ventilation systems, more moisture-resistant building envelopes, no or low-emission finishing materials, and improved under-floor insulation.
The redevelopment also incorporates urban design elements to promote the health of residents and the environment, including pedestrian-friendly street patterns, open spaces, walking trails, sustainable building methods, a neighborhood shopping district, and protection of the local watershed. We are also supporting the redevelopment of a healthful social environment through developing community action teams. The teams will increase resident capacity to address community issues. One challenge of this project is the diversity of the community; there are six primary languages spoken at this housing site.
We will assess the impact of the Breathe Easy units on asthma morbidity with a randomized, controlled trial. We will follow a cohort of residents longitudinally before and after redevelopment to assess impact on health status, respiratory health, social networks, social capital, physical activity, and other indicators. We will complement survey data with unobtrusive measures and qualitative strategies. Our presentation will describe the intervention, evaluation design and participatory process for implementing the project.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Public Housing, Environmental Health
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.