On April 23, 2019, Jeff Hild, Policy Director at the Redstone Center, provided testimony to the Council’s Committee on Health supporting passage of the Health Impact Assessment Program Establishment Act, which the Center and other SPH faculty helped to draft in collaboration with Councilman David Grosso. Passage of the Act would put the District at the forefront of states, cities and other municipalities who are utilizing tools such as Health Impact Assessments (“HIA”) to improve health for all residents and incorporate health considerations into planning and development. What impacts health the most are social determinants like the quality of our housing, our ability to access healthy foods and safe places for physical activity, the reliability of transportation, and economic and educational opportunities. “In the District, a large body of data shows us that deep and unacceptable health disparities exist and that they are primarily the result of structural inequities and social determinants. We should be shocked, but not surprised, that a resident in Ward 7 has a life expectancy thirteen years shorter than a Ward 3 resident when Ward 7 has just two full service grocery stores, limited transportation options, and higher rates of violence and poverty,” Hild testified. Implementing a Health Impact Assessment could address the issue of disparities by providing health evidence and engaging community participation in decisions about development in the District. Read full testimony here.
Milken School of Public Health faculty member Dr. Janet Phoenix also submitted testimony to the committee in support of the Act. Dr. Phoenix shared, "I applaud the introduction of this important legislation because it will create a framework for the city so that future work can take place." Dr. Phoenix also encouraged the committee to consider adding language to the bill to strengthen the multi-stakeholder interagency steering process as a critical foundation for implementation. Read the full testimony here.