Health starts in homes, schools, workplaces, and communities. Staying healthy requires eating well and staying active; getting the recommended immunizations and screening tests; and seeing a doctor when sick. However, individuals’ choices are influenced in part by:
- The options and resources in their neighborhood
- The quality of their education
- The safety of their workplaces
- The cleanliness of their water, food, and air
- The nature of their social relationships
The conditions in which people live determines, in part, why some Americans are healthier than others and why Americans are generally not as healthy as they could be. Lack of options for healthy, affordable food or safe places to play in some neighborhoods makes it nearly impossible for residents to make healthy choices. In contrast, people living in neighborhoods with safe parks, good schools, and high employment rates are provided with some of the key requirements to better health.
Improving the conditions in which people live, learn, work, and play and addressing the interrelationship between these conditions will create a healthier population and a healthier workforce. Integrating health policy efforts with those related to education, housing, business, transportation, agriculture, media, and other areas outside of the health sector will ultimately improve the health, safety, and prosperity of the Nation.
Based on the 2008 Buffalo County Housing Senate all community will experience growth with Kearney populations growing more significantly. Population was estimated in 2008 to remain unchanged in rural communities and grow in Kearney. Buffalo County Community Partners will reassess population trends upon release of 2010 Census Data. It is emphasized that home ownership is important to the health of the community. (site source here) It is also emphasized that home buyer education is needed along with financial responsibility of all adults to increase eligible home owners. Important to note a community wide effort to increase quality rentals for families is needed. In 2008, 5,156 families earn less than $25,000 MFI and 5,562 families earn $25,000 – $49,000.
The Healthy Homes and Sustainable Communities Well Being Measures 2020 represent a broad range of issues which, if adequately addressed, will improve the health of the Buffalo County.
The 2020 well‐being measures (and objectives) for “Healthy Homes and Sustainable Communities” are listed below.
Increase number of organizations offering adult/youth financial literacy programs
Increase number of units with home ownership for families at 30-50% of Moderate Family Income (under $20,500 MFI)
Increase number of quality rentals for families at 30% moderate family income (under $18,300 MFI)
The coalition that is working toward improving the Healthy Homes and Sustainable Communities well-being indicators: