Denver Housing Authority wins Healthy Homes Award

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) today announced that the Denver Housing Authority was one of four model programs around the nation to receive the HUD Secretary’s Award for Healthy Homes, an award recognizing excellence in making indoor environments healthier through healthy homes. For the third consecutive year, HUD and NEHA identified outstanding local programs that promote healthier housing through research, education or innovated practices. 

The Denver Housing Authority and partners designed the South Lincoln Neighborhood Redevelopment Mariposa project that revitalized 270 public housing units/South Lincoln homes, transforming it from an area of concentrated poverty near downtown Denver into a vibrant, healthy, mixed-income community. This effort included increasing access to health care and public transit, and developing a resource efficient, desirable, and safe neighborhood. The design also achieved multiple health related objectives, such as reducing noise, increasing physical activity, and reinforcing a social support network. A Health Impact Assessment was used to assess the impacts of policies, redevelopment projects and programs on population health, and in the overall building and design process.

The awards were presented today at NEHA’s 2017 Annual Educational Conference and Exhibition in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Among the key criteria for the awards are measurability, health impact on population, policy/program innovation, impact on physical environment, economic sustainability, and partnership/collaboration.

“The recipients of this award understand the strong connection between where we live and how healthy we are,” said HUD Secretary Dr. Ben Carson. “They demonstrate innovative approaches to making homes healthier, and exemplify the outstanding work that’s taking place throughout the nation.”