SAFE AND HEALTHY HOMES FOR ALL

Brent Suski – Program Manager

Rebuilding Together Twin Cities

Healthy Homes and Communities 2nd Annual Statewide Convening

Alliance for Healthy Homes and Communities

October 1, 2013

Introduction

Partnership

Outcomes

Lessons

Rebuilding Together Twin Cities brings volunteers and communities together to improve the homes and lives of low-income homeowners. We provide critical home repairs for homeowners in need, particularly older adults, individuals living with disabilities, families with children, and active and retired members of the armed services. 

This service ensures that these homeowners live independently in safe

and healthy homes. 

…provides home safety and accessibility modifications for low-income homeowners who are older adults or are living with a disability. 

This program focuses on keeping people healthy and independent in their homes by:

1. Preventing Falls

2. Increasing General Safety

3. Reducing Fire Risks

Intr

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tion

Intr

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Stay Focused: RTTC Identified these tasks with O.T. Students that allow us to create healthier homes by prioritizing:1. Fall Prevention (Bathrooms/Stairs

and Hallways)2. General Accessibility3. Fire Safety and Security

One-third of Americans aged 65+ falls each year.

RTTC Safe At Home Goals: Complete 70+ Projects in the 7 County Metro 35 in Minneapolis and western counties 35 in St. Paul and eastern counties

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Homeownership Rates by Race in Minnesota

“In a decade split between housing boom and bust, Asians in Minnesota -- of which Hmong are the largest ethnicity -- were the only racial group to show an increase in home ownership rates.” (Smetanka, 2011)

Identifying a Need … Fostering Partnership

Par

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ESNDC is a 35 year old locally governed community development corporation (CDC), whose mission is to foster a safe, diverse, and thriving neighborhood by engaging the community to create, affordable housing and support commercial development.

Goal: Substantially renovate 55 homes.

Common Goal: Seek to reach out to the East St. Paul, Hmong community in culturally-sensitive ways, to help keep members of the community – particularly older adults, people living with disabilities and multi-generational families safe in their homes.

RTTC’s Safe at Home program assesses and completes home safety and accessibility modification needs for low-income homeowners who are older adults or are living with a disability. 

Goal: Complete 35+ Safe at Home Projects in St. Paul and surrounding counties

Par

tner

shipCommon Goal: Seek to reach out to the East St. Paul, Hmong

community in culturally-sensitive ways to help keep members of the community – particularly older adults, people living with disabilities and multi-generational families safe in their homes.

Objectives:

1. Resiliency - Informally surveying existing service providers to identify additional partners.

2. Outreach - Preparing culturally-specific material regarding home safety and accessibility issues to be made available through Rebuilding Together and community partners.

3. Training – Teach partner staff to identify and educate their clients about home safety and accessibility needs.

4. Implementation - Recruiting community volunteers to provide no-cost safety and accessibility services on three subject properties

Out

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Resiliency Informally surveying existing service providers to identify additional partners.

Resiliency

Currently, only Rebuilding Together Twin Cities and the East Side Neighborhood Development Company are participating in this targeted partnership.

Identifying and building relationships with additional partners is an on going process.

Developing this network is essential to ensure that this healthy homes initiative does not disappear.

Out

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Outreach Preparing culturally-specific material regarding home safety and accessibility issues to be made available through Rebuilding Together and community partners.

Outreach

Remember our Safe At Home Task List?

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Outreach Preparing culturally-specific material regarding home safety and accessibility issues to be made available through Rebuilding Together and community partners.

Outreach

RTTC and ESNDC have translated the task list and cover sheet for the Safe at Home Program.

Currently, our organizations are exploring additional ways in which to educate potential clients about the services that are offered by Rebuilding Together.

Tub Tuav Chav Dej

Tub Tauv Da Dej

Cha Chav Dej

Da Dej Xov Peb Txog Dawm

Lub Rooj Zaum

Tiab Hauv Qab Ntaiv

tshem tawm thiab nruab tub tuav ntaiv

Tshem Tawm Ib Co Ua Los Ua Raug Koj Dawm

Kho Tub Rau Khaub Ncaws

Nyem Raug Qhov Rooj

Nruab Qhov Rooj Kov

Kho Ntsuas Phoo Nyob Qhov Rooj Thiab Qhov Rai

Nruab Smoke Thiab Carbon Monoxide Ntes

Nruab Sab Nraum Zoov Teeb

Nruab Thiab Hloov Qhov Rooj Tswb

Out

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Training Teach partner staff to identify and educate their clients about home safety and accessibility needs.

Training

At the start of this partnership, Rebuilding Together provided a brief training and educational materials to the staff at ESNDC. They needed to understand the services we offer and what to look for in a potential client and their home.

In just over 3 months RTTC has received 14 quality applications from ESNDC.

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Implementation Recruiting community volunteers to provide no-cost safety and accessibility services on three subject properties

Implementation

We know the need is great, based upon the number of applications RTTC received, however, only one project has been completed.

We have needed to remain flexible to actually complete the work. We need to train additional volunteers and translators to accompany them.

Out

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Implementation Recruiting community volunteers to provide no-cost safety and accessibility services on three subject properties

Implementation

Completed Tasks: Grab Bars Raised Toilet Seat Non Slip Shower TreadsInterior Handrail Doorbell Smoke and CO DetectorsMotion Detecting Light

Less

ons

Lessons Learned

Stay Focused - Understand the types of services that your programs can offer well

Build a Network - Identify a Need to Foster Partnership (Hopefully Multiple Ones)

Create Beneficial Relationships - Develop a common goals that support all partners

Be Flexible – Processes will need development, revision, and adaptation

Resources

East Side Neighborhood Development Company, Inc. esndc.org

Egbert, Andi. (2013, September 10). “How Demographic Changes will Alter the Social Landscape.” MN State Demographic Center. Department of Administrationhttp://www.demography.state.mn.us/documents/MNSupervisorsConf_Sept10_2013_POST.pdf’

National Council on Aginghttp://www.ncoa.org/press-room/fact-sheets/falls-prevention-fact-sheet.html

Rebuilding Together Twin Citiesrebuildingtogether-twincities.org

Smetanka, M. J. (2011, July 14). Hmong follow earlier immigrants to the suburbs. StarTribune. Retrieved from http://www.startribune.com.

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