Healthy homes for community health workers: Training and start up in Washington, DC

After years of neglect, Wheeler Terrace apartments in Washington, DC had leaking roofs, holes in ceilings, extensive mold and a serious pest problem. Despite these conditions, residents stayed. Wheeler Terrace is a project-based Section 8 complex and affordable housing is scarce. The health impacts of this housing is clear – in the ward in which Wheeler Terrace is located, the prevalence of asthma, which can be triggered by mold and pests, is high. In 2007, the Community Preservation and Development Corporation (CPDC) bought Wheeler Terrace. In 2008-2009, CPDC renovated the complex and incorporated healthy homes features. Partial funding came from the National Center for Healthy Housing (NCHH), who subgranted U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development funds to CPDC. Initially, NCHH provided healthy homes information to residents, but there was clearly a lack of interest and staff decided to use a community health worker (CHW) model. NCHH trained several residents as CHWs through its Healthy Homes for CHWs course. The CHWs then visited other residents to provide healthy homes information. The CHWs at Wheeler Terrace have gone through the same living experiences as other residents and can establish a relationship with them that no other health professional could. Garlenda Joyner, a CHW at Wheeler Terrace will present along with NCHH staff. They will describe: Healthy Homes for CHW course, best methods for reaching residents, addressing resident healthy homes problems, documenting and evaluating the CHW work, the CHW model as a job training approach.