The document summarizes the establishment of the Rhode Island Alliance for Healthy Homes (RIAHH), which aims to coordinate efforts among state agencies and organizations to improve housing conditions. It outlines the development of RIAHH's organizational structure, including a leadership team and five working groups. A key event was a community forum in October 2013, attended by over 100 stakeholders, to launch RIAHH and facilitate collaboration on workforce training, policy issues, and a statewide housing database. The alliance aims to align resources and services to enhance housing safety, health, and energy efficiency statewide.

1. Practicum Site:
• The Green & Healthy Homes Initiative (GHHI) aligns,
braids, and coordinates federal and philanthropic
investments in weatherization, energy efficiency, health
and safety at the local level to provide integrated
delivery of services to families in need.
• Launched in 2008 by the Council on Foundations
and the White House Office of Recovery.
Practicum:
• Develop a statewide alliance to reduce redundancy
among healthy housing groups, build capacity, and
coordinate opportunities for improved homes for all
Rhode Island residents.
• Focus on older, low-income housing
• Within the Alliance, there are five core Working Groups
to:
• Provide greater organization within the current
infrastructure
• Allow collaborating agencies to leverage
partnerships to seek funding and be more
competitive.
INTRODUCTION
GOALS&OBJECTIVES
• Conducted six key informant interviews with state agencies and housing
organizations focused on:
• Current resources
• Housing needs
• Future goals
• Established steering committee comprised of government agencies responsible
for health, energy and housing.
• Developed mission, vision and values statements.
• Drafted bylaws, organizational framework and work plan.
• Coordinated the Rhode Island Alliance for Healthy Homes (RIAHH) Community
Forum in October 2013.
ACTIVITIES
Organizational Structure:
• Three levels of membership:
• Chair: a member who has an advisory role and
oversees the Leadership Team.
• Leadership Team: comprised of 15 members, eight of
which are representatives from government agencies.
• manages five working groups.
• Management entity: appointed to coordinate the
members and provide day-to-day management
RESULTS
CONCLUSIONS
• “Rhode Island Alliance for Healthy Homes
(RIAHH) Community Forum” was held and
attended by >100 stakeholders in housing,
health and energy.
• RIAHH provides an avenue for collaboration
to:
1) develop workforce resources and
training
2) examine gaps in housing legislation
3) compile data for a statewide
database
4) analyze and recommend
improvements on housing systems
5) develop a communication platform
for all stakeholders.
RECOMMENDATIONS
• Officially launch RIAHH in January 2014.
• Conduct a gap analysis of healthy homes
factbook.
• Develop business plan to sustain RIAHH.
• Design and coordinate statewide database of
health, energy and housing data.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to express my gratitude to the Green &
Healthy Homes Initiative for the practicum opportunity,
and to Mark Kravatz for his supervision and enthusiastic
support. I would also like to thank Wendy Heiger-Bernays
for her guidance as an advisor.
• Provide technical assistance to build a framework, work plan and guide for the operation of a statewide alliance.
• Manage the compilation of a statewide healthy homes database/factbook.
• Coordinate the October 2013 launch of the statewide alliance.
Corrie Haley
Department of Environmental Health
Rhode Island Alliance for Healthy Homes
Figure 1. Composite
figure of housing
built before 1980,
children younger
than 18 years old
living in poverty
(2006-2010), and
children younger
than six years old
with first time
elevated blood lead
levels (2006-2010)
RI Dept. of Health (2012) Healthy
Housing Data Book
Data Working Group
• Information and
resource sharing
Systems Working
Group
• Improve the Rhode
Island housing system
Workforce
Working Group
• Improving workforce
gaps
Policy Working
Group
• Identifying policy
gaps and enhancing
current policies.
Communications
Working Group
• Strengthen statewide
communication
Above: Robert
Vanderslice, PhD of the
Rhode Island
Department of Health
Healthy Homes and
Environment Team
speaks at the Rhode
Island Alliance for
Healthy Homes
Community Forum.
Left: Stakeholders in RI
housing attend the
RIAHH Community
Forum.
Figure 2. Five core working groups of the RIAHH and the aim of
each group.
Figure 4. Logic model developed for the Rhode Island Alliance of Healthy Homes.
Figure 3. Organizational structure developed for the Rhode Island
Alliance of Healthy Homes.
Mission: To align, braid and coordinate
information, resources and services for
improving the health, safety and energy
efficiency of all Rhode Island homes.
Vision: Homes that contribute to an
individual’s health and prosperity and
enhances the vitality of Rhode Island’s
communities.
Values:
• Integrity
• Foster Partnerships
• Innovate
• Demonstrate Value
• Promote Health Equity
Right: Attendee taking notes at the
RIAHH Community Forum, which took
place at Rhode Island College on
October 22, 2013.
Below: Mark Kravatz of GHHI
introducing the RIAHH to over 100
attendees.