Community Data for Health and Environmental Justice

Project Name: Community Data for Health and Environmental Justice (Portland and Multnomah County, OR)

Partners:

City of Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability
Coalition of Communities of Color
Multnomah County Health Department
Multnomah County Office of Sustainability

Community Data for Health and Environmental Justice aims to support and strengthen the resilience of marginalized and frontline communities in the context of climate impacts, including local climate and environmental justice planning and policy development. The partnership team will use its local data ecosystem to support community resilience against climate-related events by identifying the material needs of impacted communities, the barriers they face when seeking resources amid climate crises, and the targeted investments necessary to uplift frontline communities, such as communities of color and low-income residents, in Portland and Multnomah County.

Due to historic marginalization and disinvestment, communities of color and people who are low income, elderly, and disabled, are disproportionately burdened with health risks and vulnerabilities. This is exacerbated in the context of climate change, as its impacts highlight inequities in access to services, resources, and opportunities due to racism, place-based discrimination, and income disparities.

The local health-focused data ecosystem developed by the Community Data for Health and Environmental Justice partnership will center and rely on community-generated data that can provide insights into how communities are coping with events such as heat waves, ice storms, and wildfires. This information can be used to drive investments that bolster community-focused resilience strategies.