Celebrating Communities Innovating to Improve Indoor Air Quality

by Laura Fudala

I’ve said this before and will say it again: One of the best things about working at the National Center for Healthy Housing is the opportunity to routinely meet “new-to-me” healthy housing champions from all across the country. Each one represents an opportunity to discover exciting ways communities are in action, learn more about the different challenges they’ve overcome or are still facing, and hear about the opportunities they see ahead. Most importantly, each one becomes an additional expert and friend that we can call on for insight and almost all generously offer to openly share experiences and serve as a resource for others.

With appreciation for their ongoing hard work and excitement for their innovation, NCHH strives to use our national platform to shine a light on these leaders to (1) elevate and amplify their phenomenal work, (2) mobilize in support of their next initiative, and (3) inspire new communities to take action, reinvigorate stalled efforts, and stimulate creative thinking. As part of our Building Systems to Improve Indoor Air Quality initiative, we’ve been lucky to engage in a flexible technical assistance (TA) relationship with quite a few true rockstar organizations and have taken several opportunities to promote some of their work (e.g., our mini-grant announcement and this blog highlighting the University of North Dakota’s Radon Outreach and Research project). Most recently, we’ve collaborated with eight of our TA recipients to provide a space for them to tell their stories on whatever way they feel best represents their efforts and can be leveraged to advance the work.

Click the links below to read their “spotlights” and learn about a win/accomplishment that makes them proud, lessons learned or pieces of advice for others in the field, current projects that excite them, challenges and/or opportunities they see ahead, and so much more! After that, if you want to learn more about any of these initiatives or feel invigorated to take action, use the contact information on each page to reach out to the groups directly and/or reach out to us. Just remember, you are not alone! NCHH and our partners are here to celebrate you, support you, and help you reach your goals.

• • Alexandria Healthy Homes Network (AHHN)
  • Cold Climate Housing Research Center (CCHRC)
  • GreenRoots
  • L.E.A.D. Agency
  • National Carbon Monoxide Awareness Association (NCOAA)
  • Red Hook Initiative
  • San Juan Basin Public Health (SJBPH)
  • Strategic Actions for a Just Economy (SAJE)
  • Landing page with all eight spotlight entries

Additional Project Resources

Visit the Building Systems to Improve Indoor Air Quality initiative main page to learn more about this initiative and access a wealth of additional tools and resources to help inform and advance your work.

Laura Fudala, project manager, joined NCHH in January 2014 as a project coordinator to provide a wide variety of coordination, research, writing, and support functions on multiple NCHH projects. She currently manages a New York State Department of Health contract and an EPA cooperative agreement that together provide coordination, evaluation, technical, training, and/or programmatic support for healthy homes stakeholders such as the New York State Childhood Lead Poisoning Primary Prevention Program and those working to support the launch and growth of large-scale, evidence-based, sustainable asthma home visiting programs.