Revitalize Community Development Corporation

With funding from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, NCHH has funded two rounds of Healthy Homes Workforce Development Mini-Grants, with applications open during late 2017 and spring 2018. These mini-grants help communities develop their workforce capacity to offer home-visiting services related to healthy homes, and to build a pool of trained community health workers (CHWs) trained in the healthy homes principles.
Founded in 1992, Revitalize Community Development Corporation (Revitalize CDC) performs critical repairs, modifications, and rehabilitation on homes and nonprofit facilities in Holyoke and Springfield, Massachusetts, which serve low-income families with children, the elderly, veterans, and people with special needs. Aging, dilapidated housing stock is one of the social determinants of health, especially for low-income families who are already experiencing health disparities. Both communities need to create an efficient, collaborative system to address and eliminate dilapidated housing conditions.
As a current 2018 mini-grantee, Revitalize CDC will ensure that staff and volunteers follow the most current practices to create and support healthy housing and public health, ranging from home health visits and inspection to community outreach, advocacy, and construction practices. Through its Training for Public Health and Housing Practitioners three-day workshop, Revitalize CDC will increase the capacity and number of health assessors trained to conduct home assessments for families referred from the healthcare system in Springfield and Holyoke. During the workshop, students will learn about the importance of conducting an assessment and resident interview using solutions-based approach and tools. After developing strategies to assess the health-related hazards in a home, students will conduct an onsite inspection, from which they will develop a comprehensive action plan. They will also learn about identifying responsible parties, estimating costs, handling the bid process, communicating with residents, managing qualify control and keeping adequate records.