Healthy Homes: Community Engagement for Healthy Mobile Home Communities

Abstract

This project was completed as part of a year-long partnership between Carver County and the University of Minnesota’s Resilient Communities Project (http://www.rcp.umn.edu). Carver County Public Health staff had identified health disparities among residents at the Riverview Terrace manufactured home park in Chaska, including lack of access to healthy food or safe opportunities for physical activity. Staff wanted to investigate other potential health concerns among residents of the manufactured home park, as well as inform them about Carver County’s Community Health Improvement Plan. The goal of this project was to develop a community engagement and public participation plan that would help build relationships between residents of Riverview Terrace and Carver County staff, and that would identify health priorities within the community. In collaboration with Carver County project lead Tami LaGow, a team of students in PA 5253: Designing Planning and Participation Processes, developed a community engagement plan with culturally appropriate interventions and communication strategies focused on community health and the Community Health Improvement Plan. The students' final report from the project is available.