One Touch: Creating Healthy and Energy Efficient Housing

Ellen TohnTohn Environmental

Strategies2014

Slide 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)

The Need

Slide Title• 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

One Touch Solution

Slide Title• 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

Added Benefit for HUD Funds

Slide Title

1 Omaha NE2 Greensboro NC3 Fitchburg MA4 Minneapolis MN5 Vermont6 New Hampshire7 Burlington VT

One Touch Sites

••••

•

•

Slide TitleFamilies “Touched” Each Year

Issue NH Omaha Vermont Minn.

Health 2600 2200 7,000 3400

Energy

1800(1,000 low income)

1150(400 low income)

4,000 2500

Housing

800 200 1300+ 1600

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

Slide Title• Improved asthma outcomes if

weatherization added to community health worker visits (Bryesse, 2013)

• Weatherization yielded fewer sinus infections, reduced asthma medication use (Wilson, 2013)

Health Benefits of Energy “Touches”

Who Should Be Involved?

Common Assessment Tool

Making E-Referrals

Automated E-Referrals

Slide TitleManchester, NH Referrals

• 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

Slide TitleOmaha Referrals• One Touch done in > 1700 homes

26%

21%

53%

Number of Referrals

>210

Referral Partners Omaha

Summary DataDouglas 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

Total Responses 280

Partners Have Access to Data

Slide Title

One Touch Program (8 -12 months)

Kick Off MeetingsEngage Partners

Develop Tools & Pilot (1-4 months)

Develop Check up Forms, Electronic Referral & Outcome MeasuresEngage PartnersPilot Test

Refine Tools & Expand Reach(5-12 months)

Modify Tools & ApproachPartner AdoptionSign Compact/MOU

Typical Timeline

Slide TitleNH Referral Commitments• MOU among Health,

Housing, and Weatherization

• Lead to track referrals statewide

• MCH home visits complete One Touch assessments & e-referrals

Health

WX

Housing

Slide 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

Omaha Benefits

Slide Title• 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

Fitchburg MA Benefits

Slide TitleMoving ForwardSpread The Word.... One Touch can happen without significant new funding

Contact: Ellen Tohn, Tohn Environmental Strategies 508-358-7770; etohn@tohnenvironmental.com