Baltimore Healthy Start Inc

ELIMINATING DISPARITIES IN PERINATAL HEALTH

ELIMINATING DISPARITIES IN PERINATAL HEALTH

HEALTHY START INITIATIVE-ELIMINATING RACIAL/ETHNIC DISPARITIES

COMMUNITY CHILD HEALTH NETWORK: BALTIMORE

CATALYSTS FOR INFANT HEALTH EQUITY - BALTIMORE HEALTHY START CATALYST FOR INFANT HEALTH EQUITY PROJECT BALTIMORE HEALTHY START, INC. 610 NORTH CHESTER STREET BALTIMORE, MARYLAND 21205 LASHELLE STEWART, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TEL: (410) 675-2125 LSTEWART@BALTIMOREHEALTHYSTART.ORG HTTPS://BALTIMOREHEALTHYSTART.ORG/ $2,499,867 GRANT PROGRAM FUNDS REQUESTED. THE PURPOSE OF THE PROPOSED PROJECT IS TO ADDRESS A LONGSTANDING AND LONG-RECOGNIZED SOCIAL DETERMINANT OF HEALTH THAT RESULTS IN ADVERSE INFANT HEALTH OUTCOMES IN BALTIMORE, MD: POOR QUALITY AND UNSTABLE HOUSING. THE OVERALL GOAL OF THE PROJECT IS TO IMPROVE INFANT AND MATERNAL HEALTH EQUITY BY ENHANCING THE HOUSING QUALITY, HOUSING STABILITY, AND NEIGHBORHOOD GREEN SPACE AVAILABILITY FOR PREGNANT AND POSTPARTUM WOMEN WHO LIVE IN BALTIMORE CITY’S MOST RACIALLY SEGREGATED AND ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED NEIGHBORHOODS. THE IMPLEMENTATION PLAN ADDRESSES THE FOLLOWING SDOH DOMAINS: DOMAIN 1: ECONOMIC STABILITY DOMAIN 4: NEIGHBORHOOD AND BUILT ENVIRONMENT DOMAIN 5: SOCIAL AND COMMUNITY CONTEXT THE PRIORITY POPULATION OF FOCUS FOR THIS ACTION PLAN IS NON-HISPANIC BLACK PREGNANT WOMEN AND INFANTS. THE JURISDICTION THAT THE ACTION PLAN FOCUSES ON IS BALTIMORE, MD, A COUNTY-LEVEL JURISDICTION SEPARATE AND APART FROM OTHER MARYLAND COUNTIES. EXISTING EVIDENCE ON HOUSING AND HEALTH CAN BE GROUPED IN FOUR PATHWAY CATEGORIES: FIRST, THERE IS RESEARCH THAT DESCRIBES THE HEALTH IMPACTS OF NOT HAVING A STABLE HOME (THE STABILITY PATHWAY). SECOND, THERE IS RESEARCH THAT DESCRIBES THE HEALTH IMPACTS OF CONDITIONS INSIDE THE HOME (THE SAFETY AND QUALITY PATHWAY). A THIRD, SMALLER SET OF RESEARCH DESCRIBES THE HEALTH IMPACTS OF THE FINANCIAL BURDENS RESULTING FROM HIGH-COST HOUSING (THE AFFORDABILITY PATHWAY). FINALLY, A FOURTH RAPIDLY GROWING SET OF LITERATURE DESCRIBES THE HEALTH IMPACTS OF NEIGHBORHOODS, I.E., THE ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS OF WHERE PEOPLE LIVE (THE NEIGHBORHOOD PATHWAY). THIS PROJECT OPERATES ALO NG ALL FOUR PATHWAYS, EACH OF WHICH IS A CONDUIT FOR CUMULATIVE CHRONIC STRESS, A KNOWN MAJOR CONTRIBUTOR TO HEALTH DISPARITIES. THE PROPOSED POLICY AND SYSTEMS CHANGE STRATEGIES FOCUS ON FOUR BROAD AREAS TO PROMOTE SAFE AND HEALTHY HOUSING AND COMMUNITIES: 1) EQUIPPING PREGNANT AND POSTPARTUM TENANTS WITH THE KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND RESOURCES TO GIVE THEMSELVES AND THEIR FAMILIES IMPROVED ACCESS TO SAFE AND HEALTHY HOUSING THROUGH WORKSHOPS, INDIVIDUALIZED COUNSELING, AND EVICTION PREVENTION GRANTS; 2) ADVOCATING WITH GOVERNMENT AGENCIES TO MAKE THESE TENANT ASSISTANCE RESOURCES MORE AVAILABLE, AS WELL AS ADVOCATING FOR CHANGES IN ZONING THAT WILL FOSTER THE CREATION OF MORE QUALITY LOW-INCOME HOUSING; 3) WORKING WITH LANDLORDS AND DEVELOPERS TO PARTICIPATE IN EXISTING TENANT-ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS AND TO COLLABORATE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF ALTERNATIVE LOW-INCOME HOUSING; AND 4) WORKING WITH CITY AGENCIES AND COMMUNITY-BASED NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS TO DEVELOP MORE GREEN SPACES, INCLUDING URBAN GARDENS AND PLAYGROUNDS, IN LOW-INCOME NEIGHBORHOODS LACKING SUCH SPACES. ALL OF THESE BROAD STRATEGY AREAS WILL BE SUPPORTED BY A MEDIA CAMPAIGN TO RAISE AWARENESS OF AVAILABLE RESOURCES AND RECENTLY ENACTED LAWS TO PROTECT TENANT RIGHTS, AS WELL AS RAISE AWARENESS OF THE CONNECTION BETWEEN SAFE AND HEALTHY HOUSING AND INFANT HEALTH EQUITY.