Mid-Michigan Fair and Affordable Housing Plan

This health impact assessment will inform the development of a five-year fair and affordable housing plan by incorporating potential health impacts, social equity, and environmental justice into future housing policies

The plan will also incorporate findings of an affordable housing study being conducted by Michigan State University. FAHP’s planning process serves as the framework for a community-wide dialogue to identify housing and community development priorities for the use of federal funds allocated annually to create affordable housing for low-income populations. Following federal guidelines, the FAHP will evaluate current housing needs, take stock of the resources available to meet those needs, and set realistic goals to improve housing affordability across the tri-county region. Key task force members include human services and housing providers from Clinton, Eaton, and Ingham counties. Some of the potential health issues include obesity related to lack of opportunities for physical activity and unhealthy eating as well as asthma, injury, and mental illness associated with poor maintenance of affordable housing. Reducing housing costs for low-income populations may also increase disposable income and ultimately lead to improved health status. 

This is part of a Health Impact Project HIA program grant. As part of that work, the Ingham County Health Department will also complete development of a prototype HIA-based checklist and an online mapping and visualization toolkit to streamline the consideration of health into future local land use, transportation, zoning, and building permit decisions. The department is also conducting the mid-Michigan regional urban and rural services management policy HIA. 

Ingham County Health Department previously completed the health impact assessment of the non-motorized transportation plan and climate sustainability plan recommendations and the Ingham County HIA.