The Westlawn Partnership for a Healthier Environment
CON Faculty: Anne Dressel
Award Amount: $300,000
Current CARE Partners
Westlawn Residents, Silver Spring Neighborhood Center, UWM Silver Spring Community Nursing Center, UWM College of Nursing, Havenwood Economic Development Corporation, Westlawn Residents Council, Environmental Protection Agency, Milwaukee Public Schools, Milwaukee Health Department, Wisconsin State Health Department, Growing Power, Fight Asthma Milwaukee Allies, Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee, Department of Natural Resources, Jammin’ 98.3, Milwaukee’s Asian Markets, UWM College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, UWM Zilber School of Public Health, doc/UWM, Safe and Sound, Alderman Joe Davis, Milwaukee County Supervisor for District 2 Nikiya Harris.
Purpose
The Westlawn Partnership for a Healthier Environment is a recipient of a Level I and most recently a Level II CARE cooperative agreement with the U.S. EPA. The Institute for Urban Health Partnerships is the lead administrator of this project. The community of focus is Westlawn, the largest low-income, public
housing development in Wisconsin. Located in Milwaukee, Westlawn faces a wide range of environmental risks: poor air quality, chemical releases, lead exposure hazards, and poor water quality. The Westlawn Partnership for a Healthier Environment joined community together stakeholders who form the broad-based partnership dedicated to reducing toxics. This stakeholder group will assessed the toxics problems in the community and is implementing solutions for reducing those risks. The Westlawn Partnership for a Healthier Environment is the first EPA CARE grant in the state of Wisconsin.
Plan
The Level I and Level II CARE project is a five- year effort to identify and mitigate the environmental health risks of the Westlawn community. Following the identification of environmental health risks, Level II funding from the U.S. EPA supports specific interventions identified by members of the stakeholder
coalition to address those risks, and fosters further collaboration among Westlawn Partnership members.The top three areas of concern that were identified and are being addressed with current funding include poor indoor air quality, mold, and access to healthy and safe food.
The Westlawn Partnership has hired three community health workers to assist with its work, who focus on promoting Healthy Homes, Healthy Day Cares, and Sustainability of the Westlawn Partnership.
Sustainability
Upon completion of the Level II CARE partnership, the Westlawn Partnership for a Healthier Environment will be sustained and funded continuously through other grant opportunities.
http://www4.uwm.edu/cc/cup/winners.cfm
