In 2015, OPHI partnered with Klamath County (OR) Public Health to conduct a rapid HIA of a model Tobacco Retail Licensing Ordinance. The purpose of the HIA was to provide information for decision-makers and stakeholders in Klamath County as they consider not only whether to develop and adopt a TRL ordinance that would help reduce tobacco use rates among youth, but also what the components of this ordinance should be.

OPHI is working with the Health Impact Project and the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (Boston) to conduct an HIA of proposed changes to HUD’s Designated Housing Rule (DHR). The DHR allows Public Housing Authorities (PHAs) to designate housing for elderly or non-elderly disabled persons to ensure that these populations have access to safe and affordable housing. Currently over 200 PHAs use the Designated Housing Rule as a way to more effectively meet their communities’ housing needs and better connect residents with necessary social and medical services. 

This HIA examines how a proposed elderly and disabled designated housing rule change could affect the health of low-income and disabled individuals and households, considering the possible administrative effects of a proposed rule change for PHAs and the community health and social supports for elderly and disabled designated housing populations.

HUD HIA Factsheet HUD HIA Final Report

Executive Summary

Full Report

In January, 2014, with funding from the Oregon Health Authority (OHA), Oregon Public Health Institute (OPHI) partnered with Clackamas County Public Health (CCPH) and the Clackamas County Department of Transportation and Development (DTD) to conduct a rapid Health Impact Assessment (HIA) of the “Active Transportation Road Safety Audit” (RSA) that was being conducted on a half-mile section of McLoughlin Boulevard in the unincorporated community of Jennings Lodge, Oregon in the northwestern corner of Clackamas County. An RSA is a commonly used tool for transportation planners and engineers working to identify and mitigate crash risk for defined sections of a transportation system. RSAs typically result in a set of proposed projects designed to mitigate identified crash risk factors. This RSA was initiated by DTD as part of the larger McLoughlin Area Plan Implementation Team (MAP-IT) project, which is focused on implementing the recommendations that came out of the recently completed McLoughlin Area Plan.  This RSA resulted in 42 proposed projects for reducing crash risks for bicyclists and pedestrians traveling through this section of McLoughlin Blvd.

The HIA provides a set of findings that characterize the relative health impacts of each proposed crash safety solution based on potential changes in opportunities for physical activity, exposure to air and noise pollution, and access to jobs and schools.  In addition, the HIA provides a set of recommendations for informing this RSA and future RSA projects as well.

Executive Summary

Full Report�

Since 2010, Lane County (OR) leaders in health, economic development, higher education, transportation, affordable housing, water and energy, and social equity have being working to integrate plans and strategies through the Lane Livability Consortium (LLC). The objective of the LLC is to improve the livability and well-being of Lane County residents through this coordination. In an effort to build upon and continue the partnerships developed through the LLC process, Lane County Public Health (LCPH) applied for and received a mini-HIA grant from the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) in January 2014 to conduct a pilot rapid Health Impact Assessment (HIA) on affordable housing policy in Lane County.

Staff from LCPH partnered with staff from Eugene’s Planning and Development Department (PDD) and the Oregon Public Health Institute (OPHI) to conduct this HIA. Based on input from local housing and health stakeholders provided at an initial HIA screening workshop, and on a policy scan of upcoming affordable housing policy development efforts, the HIA team (LCPH, OPHI, PDD) decided to focus the HIA on assessing the direct and indirect impacts of the Affordable Housing Strategic Plan, one of two strategic plans contained in the Eugene-Springfield 2010 Consolidated Plan, on the health of children and youth (age 0-17) in order to inform the next Eugene-Springfield Consolidated Plan that will be adopted in 2015. The HIA produced a set of findings and recommendations designed to inform city staff and local stakeholders as they work to update the Consolidated Plan in late 2014 and early 2015.

Findings and recommendations can be found in the:

• RHIP HIA Full Report

• RHIP Executive Summary

Oregon Public Health Institute and its partners recently completed a health impact assessment of the City of Portland’s rental housing inspections program. This HIA was funded by a grant from the Health Impact Project, a collaboration of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Pew Charitable Trusts.

The HIA assessed the relative health and health equity impacts of the two different rental housing inspections models in Portland. The standard inspections model that the city has used for many years is a complaint-driven process in which complaints by renters lead to inspections of their units. In 2009, the City piloted an “enhanced” inspections model that is initiated by complaints, but can also trigger inspections of additional rental units. This enhanced model was proposed by the Quality Rental Housing Workgroup (QRHW). Comprised of landlord, tenant, housing and health stakeholders, QRHW addressed shortcomings in the City’s standard inspections model to be more effective in working with landlords and tenants to improve the quality of the City’s rental housing stock and its ability to support the health of Portland’s renters, particularly low-income and minority households that are already at higher risk of poor health.

In order to assess the relative impacts of the two inspections models, the HIA used existing housing inspections tracking data that was collected by the Portland Bureau of Development Services, as well as existing research on the relationships between housing and health. 

The Steering Committee for this HIA included Representatives from:

• Metro Multifamily Housing Association

• Rental Housing Association of Greater Portland

• Portland Bureau of Development Services

• Community Alliance of Tenants

• Multnomah County Health Department

• Portland Housing Bureau

*The opinions expressed in the HIA Report and related documents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Health Impact Project, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation or The Pew Charitable Trusts.

Lake Oswego HIA Full Report 
Lake Oswego HIA Summary 
Lake Oswego HIA Executive Summary

OPHI partnered with Metro Regional Government to conduct a Health Impact Assessment (HIA) of Metro’s Lake Oswego to Portland Transit Study.  The Transit Study was a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) evaluating the potential impacts of three different transit scenarios for Highway 43 between downtown Lake Oswego and downtown Portland — a no-build scenario, a street car scenario, and an enhanced bus service scenario.  Metro completed the Transit Study in late 2010. 

The goal of the HIA is to evaluate the health impacts of these scenarios related to:

• Opportunities for physical activity

• Exposure to air toxics

• Safety from traffic accidents

• Access to health-supportive resources

Additional documents related to this project, such as the DEIS, Public Comment Report, and Locally Preferred Alternative recommendations, can be found on Metro’s project web site.  The final selection of the locally preferred alternative was made by the Metro Council.

SE 122nd Full HIA Report 
SE 122nd HIA Executive Summary

The SE 122nd Avenue Pilot Project is a neighborhood planning study that was completed by the City of Portland Bureau of Planning the Sustainability in  2011.  The purpose of the Pilot Project was to explore ways to help create a “20-minute neighborhood” by addressing land use, transportation and connectivity, and development design issues in the commercial and multi-dwelling zones that lie within SE 122nd Avenue between SE Division Street and SE Foster Road.

The Pilot Project will inform the city’s current efforts to develop planning tools and strategies that allow city planners to address many of the challenges posed by East Portland’s unique urban form.  Despite this “pilot” status, however, the Project has produced a set of recommendations ranging from aspirational goals to specific actions designed to move the community closer to its goals.  While some of these recommendations will wait for consideration during the city’s 2013 comprehensive plan update process, others are short term, depending on continued political and stakeholder support and involvement, and availability of resources.  The purpose of this HIA is to evaluate both the health impacts of the recommendations themselves, as well as the health impacts of the 20-minute neighborhood form.  In addition, it offers recommendations for how the Pilot Study strategies can be improved to better support the health of community residents.

Based on the existing conditions of the area’s health determinants, the scope of the pilot project, community feedback, and suggestions and advice from the project’s Community Working Group and Health Partner’s Working Group, OPHI assessed the study’s potential for impacting the following five health determinants:

• Opportunities for physical activity

• Opportunities for accessing healthful foods

• Opportunities for social engagement/cohesion

• Safety from traffic accidents

• Air quality

OPHI was part of an HIA workgroup led by Multnomah County Health Department, to conduct a Columbia River Crossing HIA in 2008.