Housing and Community Development Network Reflects on 25 Years of Addressing Social Determinants of Health
Summit explores impact of climate change and federal policies on creating healthier, more equitable communities

Community developers, housing advocates, public officials and financial sector partners convened last week to share resources and best practices to address housing and health inequities impacting vulnerable NJ communities. Hosted by the Housing and Community Development Network of New Jersey (the Network) the ninth annual Healthy Homes and Communities Summit reflected on efforts over the last 25 years to address social determinants of health and what’s on the road ahead towards building healthier, more equitable communities.

"We've achieved several major wins over the last 25 years to create healthier homes and communities including securing dedicated funding for childhood lead poisoning prevention and resources to develop climate resistant homes,” said Kelvin Boddy. “A lot of the progress made is thanks in part to strategic partnerships between the community development, health care, and public sectors cultivated at these Summits. The landscape is shifting, however, and we need to prepare for new opportunities and threats to make NJ a healthier place everyone can afford to call home.”

During the virtual event, several speakers identified climate change as a growing threat to NJ communities which is expected to result in higher temperatures, increased heavy precipitation events, and rising sea levels. Taryn Boland, chief of staff for the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU), described her agency’s efforts to increase energy efficiency in the state which has resulted in NJ being ranked eighth nationally on the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy’s 2025 State Energy Efficiency Scorecard.

"We're doing a lot of work around energy efficiency to help not only lower costs for residents, businesses, but to also lower emissions, because we know that the air we breathe has a huge impact on health outcomes, especially for our low- and moderate-income communities,” said Boland.

Joining Boland at this year’s Summit were representatives from local and national nonprofits, philanthropy, and the public sector including Amber Randolph, associate vice president for New Jersey, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation; Leonard Robbins, senior program officer for lending, LISC New Jersey; Ruth Ann Norton, chief executive officer, Green & Healthy Homes Initiative; and Denise Anderson, executive director, Center for Health Equity & Wellbeing (CHEW).

As NJ’s public health institute, CHEW actively promotes collaborative and community-driven partnerships to effect policies and practices that improve health, strengthen public health infrastructure, leverage resources to foster collective impact and social justice, and systemically advance equity and quality of life for all. Anderson described the organization’s efforts to implement a health equity initiative which would identify and address the social determinants of health through local stakeholder feedback in each of the geographic regions in the state.

"This work is community driven; we want to make sure that we're enhancing existing services or addressing a gap,” said Anderson.

Featured Summit sessions included: A Quarter Century in Review: Historic Challenges & Emerging Issues, Landscapes at Risk: Climate Change Impacts on Community Development, and Building Together: Creating Healthier, More Equitable Communities.

The 2025 Healthy Homes and Communities Summit was made possible through the generous support of TD Bank, Jewish Family Services of Atlantic and Cape May Counties, and Monarch Housing Associates.

To learn more, visit www.hcdnnj.org.

About the Housing and Community Development Network of NJ
The Housing and Community Development Network of New Jersey is the statewide association of more than 270 community development corporations, individuals and other organizations that support the creation of affordable homes, economic opportunities, and strong communities. For more information on the Network, visit www.hcdnnj.org.

For more information:
Nina Rainiero
(609) 393-3752 x1200
Website: hcdnnj.org
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