When Dr. Megan Sandel talks about the connections between health and housing, one patient, in particular, stands out. “I was treating a cute two-year-old who hadn’t outgrown his 12-month clothes,” she says. “I ordered expensive tests and nutritional supplements that had no impact week after week.” Then, all of a sudden, the child started growing. She came…
Jun 20
2019
2019
May 17
2019
2019
National Research Study Affirms Connections Between Health and Housing
New England has a housing crisis – and it’s impacting our health. These are the findings of the latest County Health Rankings, a project of the University of Wisconsin and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The study found that housing affordability and quality are major influencers of health here in New England.
Mar 1
2019
2019
Community Change and Resident Needs: Designing a Participatory Action Research Study in Metropolitan Boston
The Healthy Neighborhoods Study examines the relationship between neighborhood change and population health in nine Massachusetts neighborhoods. Baseline data from the survey show that participants believed certain social factors would improve their lives.
Jan 24
2019
2019
Designing and Facilitating Collaborative Research Design and Data Analysis Workshops: Lessons Learned in the Healthy Neighborhoods Study
A lack of resources on community research design is an impediment to more community-engaged research. This article describes how a consortium of community residents, grassroots community organizations, and academic and public institutions implemented collaborative research design and data analysis processes as part of a participatory action research (PAR) study investigating the relationship between neighborhoods and health in the greater Boston area.
Jan 18
2019
2019
Building Stronger Communities from The Ground Up
Leilani Mroczkowski is a Community Engagement Coordinator for GreenRoots. I’m always struck by how open people are to sharing their stories. Usually, all you have to do is ask. But what’s more important is to listen. On a hot summer evening this past August, I joined five young researchers in the GreenRoots Environmental Chelsea Organizers…
Jan 18
2019
2019
Using Community-Led Research to Address Environmental Injustice
We are where we live. Every day our environments shape our lives and our health. We are all connected by the air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat, the roads and sidewalks we use, the pipes in our walls, the sewer systems under our feet, the parks where we play, and…
Designing Innovative Research
We’re working hand-in-hand with communities to find solutions.
Developing Metrics
We’re demonstrating real-world solutions with hard data and metrics.
Healthy Neighborhoods Study
What comes to mind when you think about health? The neighborhood you live in rarely makes the list. However, research shows that the places we all live work, play, grow, and learn matter more for good health than access to health care and genetics combined. A new wave of development is sweeping cities in the…
Dec 20
2017
2017
CLF Healthy Neighborhood Work Gets Massive Boost
“From addressing air pollution, to improving public transit, to building sustainable food systems and more, community health is the cornerstone of everything CLF does,” said CLF president Bradley Campbell. “New research collected on-the-ground has enabled us to chart a course for transformational change in Boston and other urban centers across Massachusetts tailored to the unique needs of each community. Thanks to this generous grant from RWJF, this proven model will be expanded and replicated nationally.”