Dothan Housing Launches the Healthy Residents = Healthy Homes Initiative

Dothan Housing Launches the Healthy Residents = Healthy Homes Initiative

Affordable Housing Agency Partners with Medical and Wellness Professionals 

Dothan Housing (DH) is excited to release the Healthy Residents = Healthy Homes Initiative, which focuses on utilizing research and partnerships with medical entities and professionals to create avenues for residents to prioritize their health while building healthier lifestyles. DH is targeting wellness in two ways with two separate entities: the Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine (ACOM) and their second-year student research team and UAB Medicine's All of Us Research Program. 

"There is a correlation between housing and health that can no longer be ignored within our grassroots communities," says Samuel P. Crawford, DH CEO. "To reach family self-sufficiency goals, we must expand our lens to view both housing and health as conjoined."

A second-year student research team for the Community Health and Research Survey is targeting Wiregrass Residents for health and wellness data collection to begin a mobile health clinic for the Wiregrass. Mobile health clinics are an excellent method of reaching rural citizens and communities where traveling to a medical facility for non-emergency care would be difficult. The success of this initiative would not only expand healthcare access to those mentioned above but also expand options for Dothan Housing residents. 

"We want to see this initiative succeed, and with the expected positive impact it will have on our residents, it's only right for our team to lead the way in ensuring the survey goals are reached promptly," says Samiyah Craddock, Resident Services Manager. 

The All of Us Research Program was introduced to the DH team by the UAB Medicine team. The national research program is designed to speed up health research nationwide and assist medical researchers in learning the health, habits, and demographic patterns that influence people's health. By participants completing health surveys, physical wellness checks, and providing blood and urine samples, they assist research teams in improving the health of generations to come. 

"Participants will receive a Hereditary Disease Risk Report, a report on best medicinal practices, and an ancestry report. The opportunity for our team members, residents, and the public to access this life-changing and preventative information is a game changer," says Dr. Michael C. Threatt, DH COO.

All programs are optional concerning participation; however, by utilizing these free resources, the agency encourages families to take their healthcare needs seriously. For more information, please get in touch with Communication's Coordinator Leah Gunn at lgunn@dothanhousing.org. 

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