FY 2020 Open Call for Proposals: Health Equity and the Built Environment

Guiding this funding opportunity is the recognition that housing stability, economic opportunity, and healthy built environments are key factors in determining health equity for individuals and families. This belief has been informed by internal and external learning opportunities, highlighting the significant relationship between health and housing.

Beginning in 2015, the Trustees and staff of RMHF embarked on a journey to deepen their understanding of the social determinants of health, in particular the intersection of health and stable housing. This journey led RMHF into opportunities such as Invest Health, the commissioning of a research summary by Bradley Corallo and Alyx McKinnon titled, “Connecting Health and Housing,” and serving as coordinator for Connect Capital Richmond, a two-year initiative administered by the Center for Community Investment. These initiatives, coupled with the recommendations of the first and second classes of Equity + Health Fellows, led to the unanimous adoption of the FY2020-2022 RMHF Strategic Framework by the Trustees of RMHF. By adopting this Framework, the Trustees reaffirmed RMHF’s mission and values and affirmed RMHF’s aim to advance health equity and reduce health disparities, with an eye towards cultivating a health equity movement in our region.

Building a collective health equity movement, one that is rooted in the belief that community health is improved when economic opportunity exists for everyone, will be critical towards realizing RMHF’s mission of fostering an equitable and health Richmond region. This strategic focus will be implemented through a two-year grant program with an explicit emphasis on:

• Anti-displacement housing strategies that recognize the connection between health and stable housing;
• Strategies that increase opportunities for neighborhood choice throughout the Richmond region; and
• Activities that build awareness around the intersection of health and extreme heat and humidity within in the built environment

In response to the recommendations of both cohorts of Equity + Health Fellows, at least 50 percent of funding allocated in the Health Equity and Built Environment program will be dedicated to policy and advocacy efforts. Funding awards will support two-year grant proposals and individual awards will be capped at $75,000 per year.

Application and Selection Process Timeline: