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AD HOC COMMITTEE ON SUSTAINABILITY

Meeting Date:	09/24/2018
Subject: RECEIVE presentation on asthma in Contra Costa County and PROVIDE DIRECTION to staff, as appropriate.
Submitted For:	Jody London, Sustainability Coordinator
Department:	Conservation & Development
Referral No.:
Referral Name:
Presenter:	Jody London, DCD	Contact:	Jody London (925) 674-7871

Information

Referral History:

N/A

Referral Update:

The County’s Climate Action Plan recognizes the co-benefits that preventing further changes to our climate have on human health and quality of life. The County Health Department has prepared a study of the incidence of asthma in unincorporated areas of the County. Many of these communities are considered “disadvantaged” by the State of California using the CalEnviroScreen 3.0 tool.

The County operates programs that provide weatherization services to low income residents, many of whom live in the areas identified in the report on asthma. The County is this year hosting a CivicSpark Fellow who will spend part of her time looking at how the County can better integrate the health outreach services provided by the Health Department with the energy and weatherization programs offered by the Department of Conservation and Development.

Experience in other communities is showing that integrating strategies to improve health and safety with strategies to make housing more energy efficient and weather resistant can help residents in many ways, including improved health and fewer visits to doctors and emergency rooms, better attendance at work and school, lower utility bills, greater independence and accessibility within homes, better use of resources, and protecting the environment. The Marin Green and Healthy Homes Initiative, a pilot started over the past few years, has recently been incorporated into MCE. MCE is now providing electricity and related services to the unincorporated areas of Contra Costa County and 13 of the 19 cities in the County.

The County could consider developing a more strategic approach to making homes more comfortable and healthy for some of our most vulnerable residents by developing a healthy homes program.

Recommendation(s)/Next Step(s):

RECEIVE the report on Asthma in Contra Costa County and PROVIDE DIRECTION regarding exploration of a healthy homes program for Contra Costa County.

Fiscal Impact (if any):

At this point, the cost of exploring the feasibility of a healthy home program would be staff time from the Department of Health and the Department of Conservation and Development.

Attachments
Presentation on Asthma in Contra Costa County