At the 2007 CAFA Annual meeting that took place in November, 11 CAFA Coalitions and 6 CAFA partner organizations from throughout the State had the opportunity to come together to network, strategize, discuss successes and challenges, and determine the policy opportunities that the CAFA Network would pursue in 2008. From work that began earlier in the year, small groups narrowed down the policy options to two for each of the priority topic areas: schools, homes, and outdoor air. The policy options were presented to the full CAFA Network and through discussion and voting one policy priority from each topic area emerged and will be the focus of the CAFA policy work for 2008. The policies that were chosen include:
Schools: Building Relationships to Create IAQ Improvements
Context / background: The California Teachers Association (CTA) recently received funding to promote Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) issues among its membership and looked to CAFA to help support these efforts. After bringing together many of the state’s main education stakeholders during a CTA sponsored symposium, it was determined that there was broad interest in this issue. CAFA’s role will involve working with the CTA to build on this interest and channel it into specific policy action. Also, the California PTA recently adopted a resolution on IAQ and may be another key partner in this process.
Specific Policy Goal: CAFA acts as a “strategic convener” and works closely with the CTA and others to generate consensus and action for specific IAQ policies among the state’s main education stakeholders.
Housing: Building Awareness and Cultivating Allies
Context / background: Of CAFA’s three issue areas, housing is probably the area that’s least accessible to state level-policy advocacy. First, housing is very much a local issue, with city- or county-level housing authorities, locally-funded housing inspectors, and some jurisdictional variations in housing codes. Second, much of the state-level housing advocacy that does exist focuses on housing availability and affordability as opposed to housing quality. In light of this reality, this policy option isn’t focused on a narrow, targeted outcome (for example, the passage of a bill). Rather, it takes a more generalized approach to state-level housing advocacy that would 1) draw state level attention to housing and health in a way that elevates local needs and successes, and 2) build strategic relationships with other housing stakeholders to explore future state advocacy opportunities.
Specific Policy Goal: Build the awareness of the connection between California’s housing and the health of its residents while cultivating and organizing allies focused on housing issues. Concrete activities include:
Approaching key legislators about conducting a legislative hearing on housing and health. Potential themes include code enforcement issues, mold-related policies, pesticides, tenants’ rights, green building, legal remedies to housing problems, legislative opportunities related to housing, etc.
Preparing and conducting strategic media outreach to create coverage on housing and health.
Outdoor Air Quality: AB 1472 and Health Impact Assessments
Context / background: Currently, public health experts do not have a part in planning decisions, and city and regional planning agencies do not have the resources or expertise to assess the health impacts of planning. AB 1472 would help change this dynamic by providing state technical assistance and grant money for Health Impact Assessments (HIAs). HIAs are tools that help advocates 1) predict the effects of decision alternatives on health and the distribution of health; 2) involve affected stakeholders in assessment and decision-making; and 3) inform and influence a social/policy decision. They are similar to Environmental Impact Reports, only more focused on community health. The sponsors of AB 1472 are the California Pan-Ethnic Health Network, Human Impact Partners, and Latino Issues Forum.
Specific Policy Goal: Advocate for AB 1472, the Healthy Places Act, which would charge the California Department of Public Health with providing technical assistance and grants to local public health agencies and community organizations to evaluate land-use planning decisions using Health Impact Assessments. Advocacy efforts will be in partnership with and/or in support of activities lead by the sponsoring organizations. |
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