The California Healthy Housing Coalition is lead by a member-elected Steering Committee tasked with ensuring the coalition advances its mission. This includes monitoring workgroup progress, identifying strategic opportunities, coordinating communication, and recruiting new members.
The 2023-24 Steering Committee (member since):
Regional Asthma Management and Prevention: RAMP works to reduce the burden of asthma, particularly in communities inequitably impacted by the disease. Our work to reduce exposure to environmental asthma triggers led us, and our associated asthma coalitions, to focus on addressing substandard housing at the state and local (SF Bay Area) levels. I have worked for twenty years on a range of environmental, health, and community issues in California and abroad with a particular focus on inequities and justice. Among the founding members of CHHC, I am happy to continue providing my knowledge of coalition building and state policy to the Steering Committee.
Coalition for Economic Survival: CES is a multi-racial, multi-culture grass-roots community-based organization that has been dedicated to organizing low- and moderate-income tenants living in private and HUD subsidized housing to ensure tenants' rights to access quality safe & affordable and healthy housing throughout the greater Los Angeles area since 1973. As Director of Organizing for CES, I work to ensure that tenants have the right to healthy, safe and affordable housing and provides tenants with tools to empower them to demand those rights be respected. I bring my community-based, non-profit, housing rights advocacy perspective to the Steering Committee.
Americans for Nonsmokers Rights Foundation: ANR is a national not-for-profit organization based in Berkeley, CA that is dedicated to helping nonsmokers breathe smokefree air since 1976. We provide support to public health professionals, advocates, and the public on issues related to secondhand smoke and smokefree policy change efforts. I have worked on smokefree housing issues since 2006. I’m a member of CHHC to help increase connectivity between the healthy housing and smokefree housing movements because these efforts are mutually beneficial and have many areas for collaboration to improve health.
Alameda County Healthy Homes Department and the California Association of Code Enforcement Officers: ACHHD's mission is to prevent illnesses caused by home environmental conditions such as mold, lead, pests, radon and asbestos by providing multi-disciplinary programs, consultations, case management, technical assistance, and training. CACEO advances the code enforcement profession through a unified, statewide voice. I am the director for a childhood lead poisoning prevention program, a Code Enforcement Officer, Health Science Major and Public Administrator. I have published articles on Healthy Housing and lectured on topics related to Code Enforcement and healthy housing. I believe that much of the work I do is made better by the CHHC and would like to contribute to it.
California Breathing/CA Department of Public Health: CB is the state asthma program housed at CDPH. CB promotes proven interventions, supports local and state-level advocacy, provides healthy housing training and supplies state-wide data for stakeholders. The program has a commitment to improving the environments in which people in California live and has coordinated a number of healthy housing programs and initiatives on behalf of the department. CB is a founding member of CHHC and has served on the Steering Committee since its inception.
Smokefree Air For Everyone: SAFE was formed in 1992 by individuals who had developed health conditions related to their exposure to secondhand smoke in the workplace. We were in involved in the efforts to make workplaces nonsmoking and, since that success, have pioneered the efforts in clearing the air in multi-unit housing. We work to create smokefree environments where people live, work and play. I Have been involved in the advocacy for smoke free air since I contracted lung disease while working as an insurance broker in a smoke-filled environment. She left that field to go back into public health where she could reduce the damage done by the tobacco industry. She hopes that one day soon there will be an end to the commercial exploitation of tobacco along with its deadly consequences.
Environmental Health Coalition: EHC is dedicated to achieving environmental and social justice by empowering communities to act towards social change. We organize and advocate to protect public health and the environment threatened by toxic pollution and support broad efforts that create just, healthy, and sustainable communities. I work with community residents to reduce or eliminate environmental housing hazards and to promote healthy, accessible, safe, and affordable housing for children in high-risk communities. As the leadership development facilitator, I work with leaders that are passionate about transforming their neighborhoods and building their organizing and advocacy skills.
Green and Healthy Homes Initiative: GHHI is dedicated to addressing the social determinants of health and the advancement of racial and health equity through the creation of healthy, safe and energy efficient homes. GHHI aims to eradicate the negative health impacts of unhealthy housing and unjust policies for children, seniors and families to ensure better health, economic and social outcomes for low-income communities of color. I have been the Director of Research at GHHI since 2011 leading public health research on childhood lead poisoning, asthma, aging in place, non-energy benefits, and housing-related health outcomes.
Tenants Together: TT is a statewide coalition of local tenant organizations dedicated to defending and advancing the rights of California tenants to safe, decent, and affordable housing. As California’s only statewide renters’ rights organization, Tenants Together works to improve the lives of California’s tenants through capacity-building, movement-building, and statewide advocacy. My passion for tenants’ rights expands more than 20 years where I have provided tenant counseling and supported tenant organizing in San Francisco. I am a proud Xicana, daughter of Mexican immigrants, and dog mom.
LA County Department of Public Health: LACDPH is responsible for promoting health equity and ensuring optimal health and well-being for all 10 million residents of Los Angeles County. Through a variety of programs, community partnerships and services, Public Health oversees environmental health, including healthy housing, disease control, and community and family health. I’ve worked within the Department of Public Health for over 25 years. In the last several years I planned and implemented a new free program to remediate lead paint hazards in older homes. I enjoy working with colleagues throughout the state on policy and legislative initiatives to improve housing access and conditions, especially for the most vulnerable.
Inquilinos Unidos (United Tenants): IU empowers low-income Los Angeles County tenants through community organizing, education and advocacy. We use peaceful-but-determined group action to address issues like slum conditions, affordable housing, related health and other issues. IU has focused its tenant advocacy work on the low income, primarily Spanish-speaking, immigrant communities of Pico-Union, Westlake/MacArthur Park, Mid-Wilshire and Koreatown, Boyle Heights, East Los Angeles, Echo Park and Hollywood. Most recently, our outreach has extended to all of LA County. I have over 15 years of experience working with community-based organizations. I started my non-profit work advocating for previously unhoused tenants living in SRO hotels in San Francisco and leading street outreach efforts in Skid Row. Most recently, I have ensured community-centered services by mapping communities to align children, youth, adults, and families to community resources, assets, and needs. I am deeply committed to advocating for systemic changes to reach equitable outcomes for intentionally- marginalized communities lacking safe, affordable housing. As the Executive Director of Inquilinos Unidos, I work alongside tenants and allies to create permanent solutions to tenant displacement and homelessness.