canvas domain was triggered too early. This is usually an indicator for some code in the plugin or theme running too early. Translations should be loaded at the init action or later. Please see Debugging in WordPress for more information. (This message was added in version 6.7.0.) in /home/wellnesscornerst/public_html/wp-includes/functions.php on line 6114The Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation sat down with Katharine Robb, a postdoctoral research fellow at the center\u2019s Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative where she has been conducting research on housing and health in Chelsea, Mass. This densely populated city adjacent to Boston has seen some of the worst COVID-19 infection rates in the state. Robb completed her doctorate in public health degree at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in 2019.<\/p>\n
While pursuing her doctorate, Robb worked as an Innovation Field Lab fellow in Chelsea, ultimately focusing her dissertation on her work with the field lab, where she developed and implemented a novel social-service referral program within the city\u2019s Inspectional Services Department. The program leverages the unique role of housing inspectors to link at-risk residents with services to prevent problem properties and social and health crises.<\/p>\n
Ash Center:<\/span> Were you at all surprised that Chelsea has become one of the centers of the COVID-19 outbreak in Massachusetts?<\/p>\n Robb:<\/span> No, it\u2019s not a surprise. We know that diseases of many kinds disproportionately impact poor communities, people of color, and people living in overcrowded conditions. Chelsea has all three of these. Having spent a great deal of time in Chelsea, I know first-hand the strength and vibrancy of its community and culture. But, not only does Chelsea have a population with a lot of risk factors for infection, but because of the density and housing conditions, there are also limitations on people\u2019s ability to reduce their risk from infection.<\/p>\n Ash Center:<\/span> How do housing conditions impact health outcomes in urban environments?<\/p>\n Robb:<\/span> Housing is so much more than physical shelter. It impacts every aspect of our lives, including our health in a really powerful way. It also impacts our security, our personal relationships, our privacy, and access to community resources. Housing related risks can stem from physical aspects of the home environment such as insect infestations that cause asthma attacks, or from financial aspects that result in poor property maintenance and create unsafe conditions in the home. Overcrowded conditions may strain interpersonal relationships or contribute to abuse or mental health problems.<\/p>\n Ash Center:<\/span> Specifically, how have housing conditions in Chelsea possibly exacerbated the spread of the virus?<\/p>\n