Substandard housing in many Los Angeles neighborhoods poses health threats to children and the need for trained personnel to remediate the problem. Recognition of this fact and that residents of these communities need job skills and meaningful employment led two local community based organizations to develop the Healthy Homes Project/Proyecto Hogares Saludables. This project seeks to identify and address health and housing conditions related to lead poisoning and asthma that endanger children, as well as the conditions of poverty that perpetuate them in the target neighborhood. It involves capacity building among three different cadres of workers: Community Health Promoters from Esperanza Community Housing Corporation, construction day laborers and domestic workers of the Dynamic Workers Cooperative. More specifically, it involves (1) identifying and remediating unhealthy housing conditions, (2) providing training and meaningful employment for low-income community residents, (3) educating community residents about housing-related environmental health hazards, and (4) creating a sustainable community business that can carry out this project in the future and expand it to other similar Los Angeles neighborhoods. Community Health Promoters will present the results of the fieldwork to date and their evolving role as CHPs three years after training. The collaboration among a diverse set of organizations, workers and county agencies for the design, implementation and evaluation of this project has forged a promising model for primary prevention of lead poisoning. In addition, CHPs feel validated and empowered by the continued opportunity to enhance their skills and take on decision-making roles within innovative programs.
Learning Objectives: 1. Participants should be able to describe methods for creating job opportunities for health promotion. 2. Participants should be able to describe the evolving role of community health workers
Keywords: Community-Based Health Promotion, Environmental Health
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.