ReFrame Conference 2021: Case Studies in Healthy Homes Outcomes

Hear from three organizations that each have different ways of measuring, calculating, and reporting on healthy homes outcomes for their repair programs.  Each presenter will speak for 20 minutes. This session will also be presented at the Housing Assistance Council (HAC)'s annual (virtual) conference in early December.

• Don Taylor (Chesapeake Housing Mission) - In 2019, Chesapeake Housing Mission launched a study of the poverty-level clients it was helping on the lower four Eastern Shore of Maryland. The study involved measuring outcomes both before and after. Clients were asked about falls, ER visits, hospital admissions, and other select information to document their status before we completed home repairs. Six months after the repairs were completed, we asked the same questions. Falls were reduced from 136 to 6. We worked with our Hospital partner to gather actual hospital cost before and after. The dollar impact of the repairs is documented. In addition, working with Salisbury University, we were able to determine what % of the poverty level housing we had repaired.
• Dan Eby (Mountain T.O.P.) - In partnering with the local health network council in Tennessee, Mountain T.O.P. receives referrals that address very real needs that affect people’s lives in multiple ways, these needs consist of physical, social, emotional, and spiritual needs that affect the homeowner as a whole. We complete all types of projects from building ramps, to replacing windows, to repairing a leaky roof has a much bigger impact than people understand just from volunteering for a weekend out of the year. We will share case studies of a couple of home repair projects that we completed and outcomes such as reduced energy bills and improved health. 
• Russ Huxtable (Milford Housing Development Corporation) - Our organization is located in Delaware and has embarked on creating a more well rounded program of home repairs to include not only our current repair program, but also include energy efficiency and healthy homes. We have partners in our state, like all states, that have certain focus areas, whether it be strictly energy efficiency or health outcomes. It's about creating collaboration and connections to see how they can invest in an established delivery system and gain results for their interest to appease their stakeholders. It helps us gain capacity and do more for the client at one time instead of a more fragmented system that currently exists.

Thanks to the Housing Assistance Council for sponsoring this session!

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