Kalamazoo County Environmental Health (EH) Division as part of Kalamazoo County Health and Community Services (HCS) Department shall strive to improve the physical and mental well being of Kalamazoo County citizens by promoting Healthy Home concepts. This will be achieved by coordinating interdepartmental and community collaboration; managing resources from the community, county, state and federal government; and allow for a sustainable program that will increase awareness of the value of a Healthy Home as well as reduce disease and injury. Healthy home environments will raise the quality of life through education.
In January of 2009, steps were taken to form the Healthy Homes for Kalamazoo Program within the Environmental Health (EH) Division of Kalamazoo County Health and Community Services. Kalamazoo County EH Division believes all residents of Kalamazoo County should have access to Healthy Home education. The welfare of the children in the community is of the utmost importance in order to support the healthy growth and integrity of future Kalamazoo County residents.
Members of the Kalamazoo County Lead Steering Group and the Kalamazoo Area Asthma Coalition came together to form a united Healthy Homes for Kalamazoo (H2K) Coalition. The first H2K Coalition meeting was in September of 2009. The goals of the H2K Coalition are: reduce home-based environmental triggers associated with asthma and to support the principles of healthy housing, thereby, promoting safe, weatherized, energy efficient homes for children, free of lead hazards and other structural defects that might cause injury.
The Healthy Homes for Kalamazoo Coalition meets every other month (starting in January) to discuss healthy home issues affecting the community and to collaborate on community projects. Anyone interested in becoming a member or would like more information is encouraged to contact a coalition member (
www.kalcounty.com/eh/h2kc.htm).