About Health Impact Assessments

an overview

Health Impact Assessment reports are an important tool in creating evidence-based, cross-collaborative, and sustainable policies. They do so by providing clarity on how a potential policy or program will affect the health of the population in which the program is being implemented. With knowledge of possible health risks and benefits within a population, Health Impact Assessments serve as a valuable source of evidence that can aid in the process of policy development.

Through outlining the possible health effects on a population, particularly in vulnerable populations, Health Impact Assessments provide decision makers with recommendations on how to improve health within their given communities. Such input is especially important for marginalized groups, because it allows for decision-makers to be better informed, particularly for those that may lack a formal background in the health field. Recommendations equip decision-makers with tools to promote health and mitigate risks in the form of policy development.

Identifying Health Implications of Modifying Zoning Regulations in Little Havana

Healthy Little Havana in partnership with Human Impact Partners, Luciana Gonzalez LLC, Neighborhood Housing Services of South Florida (NHSSF), and Urban Health Solutions, is conducting a Health Impact Assessment (HIA) to identify the health implications of modifying zoning regulations in Little Havana. The first proposed change under review in Health Impact Assessment-1 involves modifying density in T4 designations within Little Havana. The T4 zone focus stems from its unique and historic presence in the community, but in its current state contradicts some Naturally Occurring Affordable Housing (NOAH) structures and permits the construction of larger, more expensive units that are beyond fiscal means for the median Little Havana household.

The Health Impact Assessment employs the use of a Technical Steering Committee and a Community Steering Committee to advise and direct the process across all stages. Both community members and subject matter experts have analyzed the various pathways through which health can be negatively impacted by existing conditions in Little Havana related to housing. Namely, it is housing affordability, housing quality, and housing instability that form the basis for the research questions explored in the assessment phase of the Health Impact Assessment.

Resources on health impact assessments

An overview of the purpose of Health Impact Assessments and its various stages can be found at Pew Charitable Trusts: Health Impact Project.

Explore Health Impact Assessments by region, sector, drivers of health, and several other factors in the Data Visualization Tool developed by Pew Charitable Trusts.

For supplementary resources and publications on Health Impact Assessments, please visit our project partner’s website Human Impact Partners: Browse by Issue Area.