I grew up in communities that needed environmental justice the most. I also lived in neighborhoods that already had the resources and ability to make change. Still, I didn’t understand the difference or know what the environmental world called the movement until later in life. I could only connect the dots when I had more access to education and a framework for understanding the issue.
Nov 17
2020
2020
Jul 14
2020
2020
Communities of color hit hardest by heat waves
Like COVID-19, severe heat waves are not an “equal opportunity” health threat. The most disinvested neighborhoods — those dominated by buildings, pavement, and parking lots — are hit the hardest. The built environment of these places absorbs and traps heat, creating a “heat island effect” that makes them dangerously hotter than other neighborhoods while worsening their air quality.
Jun 10
2020
2020
Why COVID-19 Is Hitting Some Communities Harder
COVID-19’s unequal impact on our communities has laid bare stark realities about health, wealth, and housing. As our Healthy Neighborhoods Study has shown – and as the map of COVID-19 infections bears out – low-income and people of color face community-level stressors resulting from public health inequities and environmental injustices. These stressors result directly from decades of discriminatory housing policy.
May 14
2020
2020
Building Stronger Communities and a Healthier Climate in the Wake of COVID-19
Even as we mourn the lives lost to COVID-19 and absorb the heavy toll it has taken on our economy, we must recognize that the old “normal” left too many communities unhealthy and especially vulnerable to the pandemic. Replicating that old “normal” will squander an opportunity to reduce climate danger while building healthier and more just communities for all.
Feb 12
2020
2020
Research from the Ground Up
CLF’s Healthy Neighborhoods Study is powered by resident researchers, who play a key role in designing and conducting the study and in sharing it with their neighbors. Cliff Bennett, JoAnn Diaz, and Mela Miles, part of the research team on the ground in Roxbury, discuss what the survey means for their community.
Jan 13
2020
2020
Organizing for Healthy Housing
A shared understanding of the challenges created by gentrification help Lynn residents come together and fight for healthy housing.
Dec 16
2019
2019
Researchers Bring the Power of Data Home
CLF’s Healthy Neighborhoods Study shows that health goes beyond one’s diet or exercise regime. A healthy community has engaged, active residents who believe they can influence changes in their neighborhood that directly impact their lives. In 2018, our data found that health is linked to social support, housing stability, and even civic engagement and community…
Dec 16
2019
2019
What Does It Mean to Use Research for Action?
We know that where you live matters for your health. Our community partners understand this firsthand because they live it every day. This past summer, the communities that participated in our Healthy Neighborhoods Study – Chelsea, Everett, Lynn, New Bedford, Fall River, Brockton, Roxbury, Dorchester, and Mattapan – turned that research data into action by sharing the results to make a difference where they live.
Jun 20
2019
2019
Community Investing for Health, Not Just Profit
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…
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.