Community Development as a Health Strategy

The community development sector has been revitalizing low-income communities for decades, but has only recently recognized that its work is central to improving health outcomes for residents. We now understand that where people live determines a lot about their health, and people who live in low-income neighborhoods and struggle with access to jobs, food, health care, education and housing, are also likely to struggle with poor health.

The link between health and place points to the role of community developers in creating healthier places to live by addressing vital issues that can transform a struggling neighborhood into a thriving one – developing affordable housing, health clinics and grocery stores, connecting people to jobs and education, and creating safe venues for recreation. While this work has been taking place in low-income neighborhoods with the most significant health inequities, until now the community development and health sectors have worked on separate tracks. More recently community developers have recognized their role in creating healthy places to live, and this awareness has led its investors and practitioners to form strategic alliances with public health and health care, and more intentionally incorporate health goals into their daily work.

This session will describe the community development sector’s role in addressing social, economic and physical factors affecting health, and identify concrete strategies that use the industry’s resources and tools to promote health through housing and community facilities; social, economic and human services and supports; new resource opportunities; and cross-sector collaborations that strengthen ties with public health partners.