Welcome to Tuesday Tidbits! If you would like your resource/event to be highlighted, please let me know at ddexter@cpehn.org. Thanks!
At CPEHN, much of our work has a focus on the social and environmental determinants of health. We know that health is about so much more than what happens in a doctor’s office; it is the result of our surroundings where we live, work, and learn.
One key factor that influences our health is housing and transportation. In our 2012 report, The Landscape of Opportunity: Cultivating Health Equity in California, we discussed the importance of housing with access to safe transportation options, particularly in communities of color:
“Living in a neighborhood with sidewalks, pedestrian-friendly traffic patterns, and convenient public transportation makes it easier to be active and access important services. Residents in low-income areas are communities of color are often less likely to own a car, so they may rely more on public transportation to go to work, the doctor or the grocery store. … It is important to create safe streets for all users, using sidewalks, dedicated bike paths, and traffic calming measures to make it safer and easier to bike or walk to school and other activities and services.”
For today’s Tuesday Tidbits we’re focusing on a new funding opportunity that focuses on affordable housing and sustainable communities. This past week, the California Department of Housing and Community Development, in conjunction with the Strategic Growth Council, announced the availability of $120 million in funds for the Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities (AHSC) Program.
The AHSC Program provides loans or grants to projects that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and create greater transportation access to affordable housing and employment centers. They want to see neighborhoods that shift away from cars and toward public transit, walking, and bicycling.
If you are interested in applying, the deadline for the initial concept proposal is February 19th, with the complete proposal due April 15th. This is an exciting opportunity to address some of the social and environmental determinants of health and see the fruits of a “health in all policies” strategy.