July 26, 2010: Healthy Housing, Healthy Communities Presentation
On July 26th, CAPI hosted an informal presentation followed by a discussion on smoke-free living at
Riverside, a senior-living apartment building. The event was an opportunity for the
Riverside community to interact with CAPI staff and to learn about the Healthy Housing, Healthy Communities project. This project attempts to raise awareness and develop strategies towards smoke-free living. The project also provides free information on smoking cessation support for interested residents.
Ekta Prakash, CAPI Family Advancement Programs Manager, teamed up with Waymon Lolar, MPHA Riverside Property Manager, to present information about the project and to field any questions from the residents. According to a survey in which one-fourth of residents participated, 79.5% would like the entire building to be smoke-free. Over 60% worry about the health effects of secondhand smoke.
The Healthy Housing, Healthy Communities project was made possible through funding by the Statewide Health Improvement Program (SHIP) of the Minnesota Department of Health. SHIP aims to increase healthy behaviors and prevent chronic illnesses caused by obesity and tobacco use. Elke Schmidt, a CAPI intern working closely with the SHIP project, said, “It is great interacting with the residents and hearing what they thought of the project. Overall, the community seems interested in improving and maintaining their health.” Building these types of relationships will better position CAPI to work for health equity in minority communities.