One Touch: Creating Healthy
and Energy Efficient Housing
Ellen Tohn
Tohn Environmental Strategies
2014
Slide
The Need
Title
• Home visiting programs for
energy, health, and housing
repairs have limited scope
while family needs are broad.
• Opportunities to connect
families to added services are
missed.
• Opportunities to reduce
program costs (e.g., intake,
wasted visits)
One Touch
Slide Title
Solution
• Creates effective e-referrals
• Provides added health services to families to
reduce health care expenses and improve
health outcomes
• Reduces energy use, addressing climate
change and lowering family energy bills
• Develops public private partnerships &
collaboration to fill local gaps in service
• Improves home visitor capabilities
Added Benefit
Slidefor
Title
HUD Funds
• New HUD General NOFA provides extra points
for:
– Collaboration among health, housing and energy
– Use of common assessment and referral
procedures
– Bringing multiple funding streams to assist clients
– Engaging health care payers/providers
• One Touch helps you structure programs to
achieve these HUD goals
OneSlide
Touch
Title
Sites
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Omaha NE
Greensboro NC
Fitchburg MA
Minneapolis MN
Vermont
New Hampshire
Burlington VT
••
•
•
•
•
Families “Touched”
Slide TitleEach Year
Issue
NH
Omaha
Vermont
Minn.
Health
2600
2200
7,000
3400
1800
1150
(1,000 low
income)
(400 low
income)
4,000
2500
800
200
1300+
1600
Energy
Housin
g
Health Benefits of Energy
“Touches”
• Healthier babies 20% less likely to be
underweight for age
or length
 Reduced hospital
stays in colder
months - 30% less
likely to require
admission after
visiting emergency
room.
Source: Frank et al, Heat or Eat, Pediatrics, 2006
Health Benefits of Energy
Slide Title
“Touches”
• Improved asthma outcomes if weatherization
added to community health worker visits
(Bryesse, 2013)
• Weatherization yielded fewer sinus infections,
reduced asthma medication use (Wilson, 2013)
Who Should Be Involved?
Typical One Touch Partners
Health
Housing
Lead
Asthma
Visiting Nurses
Smoking Cessation
Government Rehab
Habitat for Humanity
Rebuilding Together
Community Programs
Energy
Weatherization
Utility Programs
Home Performance
Common Assessment Tool
Making E-Referrals
Automated E-Referrals
Manchester,
SlideNH
TitleReferrals
•
•
•
•
95 units –Initial Pilot
9 partnering agencies
70% of homes needed at least one referral
127 referrals. Most common : lead, energy,
smoking cessation, social services, housing
repairs
• Adds 15 minutes to home visit
• Referrals initially tracked on Google.docs,
moved to state supported system
Omaha
SlideReferrals
Title
• One Touch done in > 1700 homes
Number of Referrals
26%
53%
21%
>2
1
0
Referral Partners Omaha
Omaha Healthy Kids Alliance (OHKA) is a non-profit
organization dedicated to promoting lead-safe and healthy
housing for children and families in Omaha. Since its
inception, OHKA has provided education and assistance
to families throughout the city. For more information,
please call 402-934-9700 or visit omahahealthykids.org
Ref er r als made t oday:
•"Get the Lead Out!" Free or discounted
testing, labor, paint &
supplies for families
with children under 7
•Home energy
efficiency & upgrades
(Windows, insulation,
& HVAC) for qualifying
homes
•Roof & Repair Program
- Homeowners in
need of roof repair
•Restore - Building
materials & fixtures for
50-70% off
Omaha Healthy
Kids Alliance
(402) 934-9700
Weatherization
Trust, Inc.
(402) 342-3524
Habitat for
Humanity
(402) 457-5657
• Lead hazard control
in pre-1978 homes
with children under 7.
•General rehab for lead,
radon, and external
maintenance
•Incentives for home
energy efficiency &
upgrades (Windows,
insulation, & HVAC)
•Housing repairs for
homeowners who are
disabled and/or over
62
City of Omaha
(402) 444-5150
reEnergize
(877) 402-5111
Rebuilding
Together
(402) 965-9201
•Case management for
children with lead
levels and free home
dust testing and
education
•Free tools to help you
quit smoking
•Assistive Technology
Partnership provides
help to indivduals and
home upgrades to help
people remain
independent
Douglas County
Health Dept.
(402) 444-7825
Tobacco Quit
Line
800-QUIT-NOW
ATP
(888) 806-6287
Summary Data
Douglas County Health
87
City Lead Hazard
Control
48
City Rehab
39
City Handyman (Elderly)
14
Habitat for Humanity
(Roofs)
65
ReBuilding Together
86
OHKA (Healthy Home)
117
Weatherization
19
Fire Department
(Alarms)
7
Tobacco Free Nebraska
6
City Emergency Repair
6
Other
7
Partners Have Access to Data
Typical
SlideTimeline
Title
One Touch Program (8 -12 months)
Kick Off Meetings
Engage Partners
Develop Tools & Pilot (1-4 months)
Refine Tools & Expand
Reach
Develop Check up (5-12 months)
Forms, Electronic
Referral &
Outcome
Measures
Engage Partners
Pilot Test
Modify Tools &
Approach
Partner Adoption
Sign
Compact/MOU
NH Referral
SlideCommitments
Title
• MOU among Health,
Housing, and Weatherization
• Lead to track referrals
statewide
Housing
• MCH home visits complete
Health
One Touch assessments &
WX
e-referrals
Omaha
SlideBenefits
Title
• Secured significant Kresge Healthy Homes
Grant,
• Assisting City in maintaining Weatherization
presence
• Connections to Rebuilding and Habitat
• Program is institutionalized
• Will position them for HUD
Fitchburg
Slide
MA
Title
Benefits
• Closer collaboration among weatherization, city
rehab, and lead
• Local CDC developed green and healthy rehab
specs
• Considering linking new tablet for code
enforcement with One Touch software
Moving
Slide
Forward
Title
Spread The Word.... One Touch can happen
without significant new funding
Contact: Ellen Tohn, Tohn Environmental Strategies
508-358-7770; etohn@tohnenvironmental.com