I applied to be a part of a Health and Housing Learning Cohort 2020 through the National Associations of Counties (NACo) and was accepted. Our team consists of my two aides, Melissa Strassner and Ivette Moreno and two Orange County staff members, Nancy Sharifi and Yolanda Martinez. We have created an Action Plan, which we are still updating as we learn more through the cohort.
HOUSING AND HEALTH ACTION LEARNING COHORT: ACTION PLAN
GOAL #1: INCREASE HOUSING QUALITY STANDARDS FOR EXISTING AFFORDABLE HOUSING THROUGH HEALTHY HOMES EDUCATIONAL INITIATIVE.
Action #1: Conduct workshops in collaboration with local legal non-profits to educate low-income communities about their housing rights and provide health resources information at these workshops.
Timeline: Agreement with Community Legal Services will be signed in February or March, workshops will begin April through September 2020 (one workshop per month)
Owners: Commissioner Bonilla, Nancy Sharifi, Melissa Strassner, Ivette Moreno
Resources Needed:
- Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding
- Legal Non-Profit Organizations
- Educational materials (brochures, handouts, ppts).
County Team Contact: Mitchell Glasser and Housing Division staff.
Action #2: Collaborate with existing online platforms (Orange County Neighborhood Services, Orange County Sustainability Initiative, and Orange TV) to educate the public on health and housing issues. Topics can include health hazards in homes, improving sustainability and efficiency in housing, and connecting communities to available health resources in their area.
Timeline: Summer 2020
Owners: Commissioner Bonilla, Nancy Sharifi, Melissa Strassner, Yolanda Martinez, Ivette Moreno
Resources Needed:
- Orange TV
- Orange County Communications
- Orange County Sustainability Team – Set meeting with lead contact to collaborate with them on content and outreach.
- Obtain additional education information from Orange County Utilities, Orange County and Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Florida Health Department, and Orlando Utilities Commission.
County Team Contact: Ivette Moreno (in conjunction with Dr. Martinez for content on healthy and sustainable housing).
Action #3: Incorporate health component to existing affordable housing preservation efforts. For example, recipients of grant funding for the purposes of rehabilitating and preserving affordable housing, will be provided educational materials on how to maintain a healthy home.
Timeline: Summer 2020
Owners: Orange County Housing and Community Development Division, Nancy Sharifi, Mitchell Glasser.
Resources Needed:
- Staff to develop or access existing educational materials
- Orange County Graphics/Printing
County Team Contact: Mitchell Glasser
GOAL #2: RAISE AWARENESS OF THE CORRELATION OF HEALTH AND HOUSING IN ORANGE COUNTY, CHALLENGES THIS CORRELATION CREATES AND POTENTIAL STRATEGIES FOR MITIGATING THOSE CHALLENGES.
Action #1: Facilitate a panel discussion in conjunction with Orange County Neighborhood Services at the Annual Conference.
Timeline: October 2020
Owners: Nancy Sharifi, Melissa Strassner, Jason Reynolds
Resources Needed:
- Speakers
- Educational Materials
- Orange County Neighborhood Services
- Orange TV
- Orange County Communications
County Team Contact: Nancy Sharifi and Jason Reynolds
GOAL #3: ENSURE QUALITY STANDARDS FOR NEW AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS IN COLLABORATION WITH EXISTING HOUSING FOR ALL TASK FORCE.
Action #1: Incorporate health component to new affordable housing efforts. For example, recipients of grant funding for the purposes of affordable housing, will be required to follow standards to maintain a healthy home.
Timeline: 2020 – 2021
Owners: Housing Development Staff, Private and Public partnerships, Health Services Staff
Resources Needed:
- Staff to develop recommended standards for healthy homes for approval by BCC
- Nonprofit and Private developers
- Dedicated housing funds and health resources
County Team Contact: Mitchell Glasser and Dr. Yolanda Martinez
Action #2: Support the “Housing For All” plan by promoting opportunities for new housing prototypes that cater to the “missing middle” community needs (higher density, housing close to public transit and employment, energy-efficient units, sustainability features).
Timeline: 2021 – 2022
Owners: Housing For All staff and Private and Public Partners.
Resources Needed:
- Orange County Staff (Planning, Housing Division)
- Dedicated Housing Revenue Funds for incentives and project costs
- Non-profit and For-profit developers
County Team Contact: Mitchell Glasser and Orange County Staff
ACCOMPLISHMENTS TO DATE
UPDATE MARCH 7, 2020: Thanks to our diligent work, we have accomplished moving forward on our Goal #1, Action #1 of the Action Plan, by securing the funding and partnering with Community Legal Services to launch this initiative. The Housing for All workshop in our “Upcoming Events” is part of this initiative.
