Pamela R. Turner

Program note: Expanding healthy housing and environmental awareness in rural communities through local and national partnerships

ABSTRACT Healthy homes are an important contributor to individual and family health. Sharing healthy home information with individuals in rural communities can be challenging because of limited resources and transportation challenges. One effective way to increase consumer awareness of healthy homes, especially in rural areas, is through collaboration. The national Healthy Homes Partnership (HHP) is a 15-year-old public outreach education program that addresses housing deficiencies and risks associated with poor indoor air quality. Between September 2014 and November 2015, HHP had 9,617 direct and 2,000,838 indirect educational contacts. State partners created advisory coalitions to bring together organizations with the common goals of reducing housing hazards and improving health. This paper highlights the efforts of the Healthy Homes Partnership, including examples of effective outreach from multiple states. Healthy housing efforts have demonstrated that local outreach along with online information can be an effective strategy to reach rural residents. In this program note, the authors explore the benefits and challenges associated with a holistic approach to bridging health and housing knowledge gaps in rural communities.