New Partnership Will Reduce Unsafe Living Conditions in Worcester County

The Chesapeake Housing Mission, Atlantic General Hospital and the Worcester County Health Department are partnering to form the “Healthy Homes Initiative,” a three-pronged approach to reducing the growing number of unsafe and unhealthy living conditions found in homes in Worcester County.

This partnership is the first of its kind in our region and is focused on people living below the poverty level. The main goal of this initiative is prevention of falls and other illness caused by living in an unhealthy environment.

A news conference and signing of a Memorandum of Understand for this partnership will be held on Wednesday, October 6, 2021 at 11 a.m. at Atlantic General Hospital in Berlin. The media and community are invited to this event to learn more about the Healthy Homes Initiative.

Chesapeake Housing Mission will provide critical home repair services to Worcester County residents living below the poverty level. CHM will design, obtain permits and provide all materials for the projects.

Atlantic General Hospital and Health System will provide employee work teams to complete projects and reimburse CHM for materials for each project.

The Worcester County Health Department will collaborate with CHM to screen vulnerable adults who may be in need of critical home repairs and work on a training program on home safety and health.

A collaboration between these three groups will facilitate improved living conditions for poverty level residents helping them to remain safely in their homes, reduce the risk of falls and other health problems, increase access to services and offer an improved quality of life in Worcester County.

A recent outcomes study found that clients reduced falls by more than 90 percent after completion of their CHM projects.

For more information, contact Sarah Yonker at Atlantic General Hospital at syonker@atlanticgeneral.org or Don Taylor at Chesapeake Housing Mission chmed@chesapeakehousingmission.org