Green & Healthy Homes Initiative Inc

ADDRESSING THE SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH AND RACIAL EQUITY THROUGH HEALTHY HOUSING.

MARYLAND DIRECT SERVICES PROGRAM: THE MARYLAND PROGRAMS DEPARTMENT PROVIDES OUTREACH AND TRAINING, RESIDENT EDUCATION, CASE MANAGEMENT, TENANT'S RIGHTS AND LEGAL ASSISTANCE, HOUSING RELOCATION ASSISTANCE, HOUSING INSPECTIONS, AND HOUSING INTERVENTIONS IN LOW INCOME HOMES IN MARYLAND INCLUDING LEAD HAZARD, ASTHMA TRIGGER AND HOUSEHOLD INJURY RISK REMEDIATION, AGING IN PLACE MODIFICATIONS AND WEATHERIZATION INTERVENTIONS. CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O.WHILE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS WERE UNABLE TO PERFORM SERVICES DUE TO COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS DURING 2020, GHHI'S MARYLAND PROGRAMS SUCCESSFULLY NAVIGATED THE COVID LOCKDOWN TO PROVIDE SERVICES TO 7,520 PERSONS THROUGH TRAINING AND OUTREACH EVENTS, CLIENT RESIDENT EDUCATION AND HOUSING INTERVENTIONS USING ITS INTEGRATED, COMPREHENSIVE MODEL TO PREVENT LEAD POISONING, ASTHMA EPISODES, TRIP AND FALLS AND OTHER HOUSEHOLD INJURIES, AND ENERGY LOSS. AS FAMILIES SHELTERED IN THEIR HOMES FOR LONGER PERIODS OF TIME DURING THE PANDEMIC AND EXPERIENCED REDUCTIONS IN INCOME, GHHI IDENTIFIED THAT FAMILIES AND OLDER ADULT CLIENTS IN BALTIMORE CITY NOT ONLY LACKED THE RESOURCES TO PROTECT THEIR FAMILIES FROM HOME-BASED ENVIRONMENT HEALTH HAZARDS, BUT THEY ALSO NEEDED IMMEDIATE ASSISTANCE WITH FOOD, SAFETY AND PREVENTIVE COVID SUPPLIES DELIVERY IN ORDER TO STAY SAFE IN THEIR HOMES DURING THE COVID-19 CRISIS. AS A RESULT, GHHI RESPONDED BY PIVOTING ITS SERVICES IN BALTIMORE CITY DURING THE EARLY MONTHS OF THE COVID-19 OUTBREAK IN 2020 TO SERVE OUR MOST VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES BY DELIVERING 9,145 DAILY MEALS TO CHILDREN IN PARTNERSHIP WITH BALTIMORE CITY DHCD, DELIVERING FOOD AND COVID SUPPLIES BOXES TO FAMILIES, INSTALLING HEALTHY HOMES SAFETY KITS TO PREVENT INJURY AND DELIVERING AIR CONDITIONERS TO SENIORS.

CLIENT SERVICES AND NATIONAL TECHINCAL ASSISTANCE: THE CLIENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT PROVIDES DIRECT SERVICES AND UPSTREAM TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO SUPPORT COORDINATED, HOLISTIC HOUSING, HEALTH AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY INTERVENTIONS FOR FAMILIES AND OLDER ADULTS. OUR TEAM WORKS TO IMPLEMENT THE GHHI MODEL OF ALIGNED HEALTHY HOMES AND RESIDENTIAL ENERGY EFFICIENCY SERVICES IN CITIES AND STATES AROUND THE COUNTRY, WITH PROGRAMS IN MISSISSIPPI, RHODE ISLAND AND TENNESSEE BASED ON OUR FLAGSHIP MARYLAND PROGRAM AND STAFFED BY GHHI PERSONNEL. CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O.THE ORGANIZATION PROVIDES TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO STATES AND LOCAL JURISDICTIONS SEEKING TO DESIGN, IMPLEMENT AND EVALUATE INTERVENTIONS IN OCCUPIED HOUSING, GROW INVESTMENT IN HEALTHY HOMES AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND PUT INTO PLACE HEALTH-PROTECTIVE HOUSING POLICIES. GHHI WORKS AT THE STATE LEVEL IN CONNECTICUT, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, PENNSYLVANIA AND ELSEWHERE TO CREATE COORDINATED HOUSING INTERVENTION PROGRAMS AT SCALE THAT ARE SUSTAINABLY SUPPORTED BY CROSS-SECTOR INVESTMENTS AND EFFECTIVE HOUSING REGULATION. GHHI DESIGNS AND IMPLEMENTS NATIONALLY-INNOVATIVE PILOT PROJECTS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH HEALTHCARE, PUBLIC UTILITY COMMISSIONS AND STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT. A HALLMARK OF THE WORK IN 2020 WAS THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PROGRAM DESIGN FOR A MULTI-MILLION HOSPITAL COMMUNITY BENEFIT INVESTMENT FOR LEAD HAZARD REMEDIATION FOR A PENNSYLVANIA-BASED NONPROFIT HEALTH SYSTEM THAT WILL DRAMATICALLY REDUCE LEAD POISONING AND ADVANCE SECTOR ALIGNMENT BETWEEN CLIMATE, ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND HEALTHY HOUSING IN AT RISK COMMUNITIES.

POLICY AND INNOVATION: THE POLICY & INNOVATION DEPARTMENT WORKS TO ADVANCE POLICIES AND MODELS TO SUPPORT SUSTAINABLE RESOURCES FOR HEALTHY HOUSING, INCLUDING LOOKING AT NEW FUNDING PATHWAYS, PARTNERSHIPS WITH SECTORS SUCH AS HEALTHCARE, AND MAKING THE BUSINESS CASE FOR INVESTING IN HEALTHY HOUSING AND BUILDING UP LOCAL CAPACITY. IN 2020, THE DEPARTMENT CONCLUDED ITS MULTI-YEAR NATIONAL INITIATIVE FOR ASTHMA REIMBURSEMENT THAT WAS SUPPORTED BY THE EPA. GHHI PROVIDED TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO 21 ASTHMA PROJECTS AROUND THE COUNTRY, CONDUCTING DATA ANALYSIS AND DESIGNING PARTNERSHIPS BETWEEN HOUSING AND HEALTHCARE THAT CAN RESULT IN SUSTAINABLE HEALTHCARE FUNDED PREVENTIVE PROGRAMS. CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O.GHHI PRODUCED A POLICY PAPER THAT PROVIDED STATE MEDICAID PROGRAMS WITH POLICY EXAMPLES AND JUSTIFICATIONS FOR THEIR COVERAGE OF LEAD POISONING PREVENTION AND SCREENING SERVICES WITH MEDICAID FUNDS. GHHI'S APPROACH OF HOLISTIC HOUSING SERVICES USING A COMPREHENSIVE PLATFORM WAS CITED IN THE HUD NOTICE OF FUNDS OPPORTUNITY AS THE MODEL FOR A NEWLY CREATED GRANT PROGRAM BY HUD IN 2020, THE $5 MILLION HEALTHY HOMES AND WEATHERIZATION COOPERATION DEMONSTRATION GRANT PROGRAM THAT FOSTERS CROSS SECTOR INTEGRATION. GHHI WORKED WITH THE STATE OF MICHIGAN TO DESIGN A GROUNDBREAKING MICHIGAN LEAD FUND WHICH IS DESIGNED TO PROVIDE LOW-INTEREST LOANS AND GRANTS FOR PROPERTY OWNERS TO USE TO MITIGATE LEAD HAZARDS. THE FUND WILL SERVE AS A LOAN LOSS RESERVE, ALLOWING PRIVATE LENDERS TO SCALE LEAD REMEDIATION EFFORTS IN THE STATE. THE DEPARTMENT ALSO PRODUCED PUBLICATIONS ON MODEL AGING IN PLACE PROGRAMS AND A LEAD POISONING PREVENTION RISK CALCULATOR THAT ANALYZES THE RETURN ON INVESTMENT OF LEAD HAZARD CONTROL ACTIVITIES TO HELP MAKE THE BUSINESS CASE FOR LOCAL LEAD PREVENTION INVESTMENTS. THE DEPARTMENT ALSO LED THE ORGANIZATION-WIDE DEVELOPMENT OF A VIRTUAL HEALTHY HOMES TOOLKIT FOR DELIVERING HEALTHY HOMES ASSESSMENTS VIRTUALLY, IN LIGHT OF THE PANDEMIC. THIS TOOLKIT WAS ADOPTED INTO USE BY 3 STATES AND GHHI SERVED AS A TRAINING RESOURCE BY CONDUCTING TRAININGS ON THE VIRTUAL PLATFORM FOR 142 AGENCIES NATIONALLY.

DATA AND EVALUATION: THE MISSION OF THE DATA, EVALUATION & LEARNING DEPARTMENT IS TO FOSTER A CULTURE THAT PROMOTES THE USE OF DATA TO LEARN, ITERATE AND IMPROVE PROGRAMMING AND SERVICES ACROSS ALL FACETS OF GHHI AND THE BROADER HEALTHY HOMES COMMUNITY. THE DEPARTMENT SEEKS TO UPHOLD THIS MISSION BY CURATING THOUGHTFUL ENGAGEMENTS WITH STAKEHOLDERS AROUND THE IMPORTANCE OF DATA IN OUR LARGER EFFORT TO CREATE HEALTHIER HOMES, AND ULTIMATELY HEALTHIER FAMILIES. THE DATA & EVALUATION TEAM HAS WORKED WITH PROJECTS AND ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS THE COUNTRY TO DESIGN EVALUATION PLANS AND BUILD CUSTOM DATA MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS TO ENSURE THE EFFICACY OF PROGRAMMING AND SERVICES. ACCESS TO REAL TIME DATA ON ACTIVITIES, OUTPUTS AND OUTCOMES HAS ALLOWED PROJECTS AND ORGANIZATIONS TO OPERATE WITH MORE EFFICIENCY WHILE ALSO CREATING PATHWAYS TO LEARN AND PIVOT ON PROGRAMMATIC APPROACH; THUS, CREATING INCREASED OPPORTUNITIES FOR SUCCESSFUL OUTCOMES AND LASTING IMPACT.