Improving Kids' Environment is a partner in the Citizen's Healthy Homes Initiative with the Concerned Clergy and the Citizen's Multi-Service Center.  As a partner, IKE wrote a Needs Assessment for the Kennedy-King Park Neighborhood on Indianapolis' Near Northeast Side.  The Needs Assessment was published on August 23, 2003. Back to Main Report

Citizens Healthy Homes Initiative:  A Project of

Citizen’s Multi-Service Center

Concerned Clergy of Greater Indianapolis

                                    Improving Kids’ Environment

601 E. 17th St.

Indianapolis, IN  46202

(317) 926-2351

chhi@ikecoalition.org

Indianapolis Citizen’s Healthy Homes Initiative

Kennedy-King Park Neighborhood Needs Assessment

Background

CHHI has taken a two-part approach to supporting healthy homes in Indianapolis. 

1.                  Home Evaluation:  With the resident’s permission, CHHI evaluated their home for environmental hazards such as lead dust, lead in soil, carbon monoxide, radon, cockroaches, mold and moisture.  Based on the results, CHHI works with the residents to address problems.

As part of this effort, CHHI has trained more than 70 youth, residents and community service providers to take environment samples consistent with national protocols.  13 of these trainees have become licensed Lead Sampling Technicians.  January Jones and LaTasha Timberlake coordinated the sampling with the support of Florence Alexander, Jennifer Darby, Julia Taylor, Linda Smeltzer, and Daniel Wright as well as the youth participants (see list at end).

CHHI will prepare a report in the coming months summarizing the results of the sampling and evaluation.  Naturally, the resident’s identity and address will be kept confidential unless they approve of a release.

As of August 14, 2003, 42 homes were sampled.  15 were in the Kennedy-King Park Neighborhood.  The preliminary results are as follows for the 39 homes that CHHI has results for.

-                     8 homes with lab results pending

-                     22 homes with lead present

o       15 with lead hazards (soil or dust wipes)

-                     12 homes with cockroaches

o       9 homes had residents with asthma and had cockroaches

-                     4 homes with hazardous levels of carbon monoxide

-                     1 radon with hazardous levels of radon

As of August 14, the results of the lead sampling are as follows:

2.                  Neighborhood Needs Assessment:  CHHI conducted an intensive needs assessment of the housing in the Kennedy-King Park Neighborhood to:

a.       Evaluate the condition of the housing and make recommendations to improve the health, safety and affordability of the homes.

b.      Develop a model that could be extended to other neighborhoods in Indianapolis. 

For this assessment, the Kennedy-King Park Neighborhood is defined as the neighborhood bounded by 16^th St. to the south, 22^nd St. to the north, Alabama St. to the west and the newly opened Monon Greenway Trail to the east.  The neighborhood consists of 446 homes plus three major housing developments:  Caravel Commons; Broadway Heights; and University Heights.  The statistics used in this needs assessment do not include these three complexes.  The neighborhood has 83 duplexes and 42 apartments with more than two units.

Under the direction of January Jones and Tom Neltner with the support of Florence Alexander, Jennifer Darby, Mary Clifton, Robert Frazier, and LaTasha Timberlake, the youth participants (see list end of report) from the Citizen Multi-Service Center’s Sankofa Program did the following:

·        Took digital photographs of the homes in the Kennedy-King Park Neighborhood;

·        Developed a database of the homes

·        Coordinated the homes with property ownership information supplied by C.P. Morgan and housing code enforcement information supplied by Marion County Health Department.

·        Rated the exterior of the homes on seven factors:

1.      Foundation;

2.      Siding;

3.      Roof;

4.      Paint;

5.      Windows;

6.      Gutter; and

7.      Trash.

·        Rated the overall condition of the homes and apartment buildings.    

·        Prepared this Needs Assessment.