Westlawn partnership for a healthier environment: A level I community action for a renewed environment (CARE)

Background: Westlawn, the largest low-income, public housing development in Wisconsin is located in the Milwaukee area, and faces a wide range of environmental risks: poor air quality, chemical releases, lead exposure hazards, and poor water quality. The Westlawn Partnership for a Healthier Environment is a recipient of the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) Level I Community Action for a Renewed Environment (CARE) cooperative agreement. Description: The Westlawn Partnership is charged with joining community stakeholders to form a broad-based partnership dedicated to reducing toxics. This partnership, lead by a nurse and comprised of public health professionals, business leaders, schools, and community residents, assessed the toxics problems in the community, considering options for reducing risks by considering the question: In an ideal community, what would the environmental conditions look like to promote the best health of the residents? Lessons Learned: Major accomplishments of the CARE partnership include: a) development of a community environmental health priority list for action, b) development of a community health worker role specifically designed to address environmental exposures and health, c) funding for a variety of environmental programs including Healthy Homes, d) integration of environmental health into nursing curriculum, and e) advocating for environmentally healthy neighborhoods (e.g., the Housing Authority of Milwaukee incorporated environmental safeguards into urban planning and operations such as Integrated Pest Management for the Public Housing area). Recommendations: The CARE Partnerships for Healthier Environments program can facilitate a wide range of environmental health improvement activities in urban, low-income areas, which ultimately, support environmental justice.