Goal 2: Healthy Communities

Coordinate the development of affordable housing with planning for healthy communities, including access to parks and recreational resources, pedestrian/bicycle facilities, healthy food sources, and medical care providers.

1. Utilize mapping tools to illustrate the presence/absence of recreational resources, healthy food sources, medical care providers, and other key public health benefit resources in proximity to housing. (1-3 years)
2. Improve residential access to healthy foods (e.g., supportive future land use categories; regulatory incentives; transportation improvements; coordinated programs etc.) (1-3 years)
3. Allow increased residential densities and encourage affordable housing within ½-mile of parks, schools, groceries (access to fresh foods), medical facilities, pedestrian/bicycle and transit facilities. (1-3 years)
4. Expand access to community resources through partnerships with community organizations and social service providers that support healthy communities, with a primary focus on access for affordable housing developments, through the provision of amenities and services (e.g., mobile health fairs; community gardens; park/recreation areas; and other on-site amenities/services). (1-3 years)
5. Identify gaps in safe access to bicycle, pedestrian, and transit facilities that serve as a viable alternative to single occupant vehicles to support mobility of the county’s population, especially those who have limited access to personal vehicles, and dedicate funding to closing those gaps. (10 years)

Housing and Health

Physical, social, and economic environments in Pinellas County directly influence the health of residents. Quality, affordable, and conveniently located housing can improve health outcomes by encouraging physical activity, supporting reliable mobility options, improving access to healthy foods, boosting mental health, strengthening support networks, and promoting health equity.

The United Way compiles information and data based on research to quantify and describe the number of households that struggle financially as part of the national United for ALICE initiative.⁸ This ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) information represents households with income above the Federal Poverty Line, but below the basic cost of living (aka ALICE Threshold).

ALICE households consist of employees that work full-time jobs, or multiple jobs that are essential but are underpaid. Even though they work full time, they are in debt, and struggle to make ends meet. Examples of ALICE workers are office assistants, janitors, waiters, nursing assistants, paraprofessionals, and tourism industry employees.

Income limited households are restricted in the level of health care they can afford. Low wage earners are often impacted by chronic stress, have a greater difficulty recovering from illnesses, and are at a high risk of being uninsured. Uninsured adults are four times as likely to delay medical attention.¹⁰

*Households with income above the Federal Poverty Line, but below the basic cost of living.

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⁸ https://www.unitedforalice.org/overview (December 2022)

⁹ ALICE Threshold, (2007-2018); American Community Survey, (2007-2018)

¹⁰ United For Alice (2022) Health Care Introduction. https://www.unitedforalice.org/health-care-introduction