SVMC Community Health Needs Assessment 2021 - Catalog - Page 28
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households were cost-burdened; approximately 14% of households were severely cost-burdened in
2020.20 The share of households within SVMC’s service area that are severely cost-burdened can be
found in the chart below.
Severe Housing Cost Burden within SVMC’s
Service Area21
County
Bennington County
Windham County
Berkshire County
Percentage of
households spending
half or more than half of
income on housing costs
12%
17%
15%
Washington County
Rensselaer County
12%
12%
State
Vermont 15%
Massachusetts
16%
New York 20%
The COVID-19 pandemic, resulting
in shutdowns, layoffs, and
furloughs, has amplified an already
perilous housing environment
locally and nationally. With rental
costs predicted to increase at a
rate beyond wage rise, larger
numbers of low-income earners
may be pushed into unstable and
unhealthy housing conditions than
in recent history.22
Walkability and Neighborhood Safety
The walkability of neighborhoods is another
Survey Respondent Quote:
vital part of the physical environment that
can predict community health outcomes.
“If I could do one thing to improve the health
Associated with lower risk of cardiovascular
of our region, I would like to see a more
disease, lower blood pressure, and lower
pedestrian/cyclist-friendly community.”
smoking rates, a walkable neighborhood is a
safe and inviting setting within which
individuals can be active. According to the US
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a large portion of SVMC’s service area is considered “the least
walkable” or “below average walkable”. The EPA’s walkability index summarizes selected indicators
associated with the built environment and location, including diversity of land use, accessibility to
destinations, street network design, density of development, and more.23
Challenges with neighborhood walkability can create unsafe conditions for physical activity. Whether
rural roads with limited sidewalks or shoulder space, lack of bicycle or pedestrian lanes within towns, or
difficulty accessing public green spaces, a significant number of individuals within SVMC’s service area
report difficulty in accessing areas for safe physical recreation.
20
The State of the Nation’s Housing 2020. Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University.
https://www.jchs.harvard.edu/sites/default/files/reports/files/Harvard_JCHS_The_State_of_the_Nations_Housing_2020_Repo
rt_Revised_120720.pdf
21 Severe Housing Cost Burden: A Housing and Transit Measure. County Health Rankings & Roadmaps. University of Wisconsin
Population Health Institute: School of Medicine and Public Health with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
2021 County Health Rankings using data from 2015-2019. https://www.countyhealthrankings.org/
22 The State of the Nation’s Housing 2021. Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University.
https://www.jchs.harvard.edu/sites/default/files/reports/files/Harvard_JCHS_State_Nations_Housing_2021.pdf
23 National Walkability Index. Environmental Protection Agency interactive map viewer, sourced from 2019 Census TIGER/Line
shapefiles, 2018 US Census ACS (5-Year Estimate), Census LEHD 2017, HERE NAVSTREETS 2019, National Transit Database
(NTD), Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), 2020. https://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/smart-location-mapping#walkability
Southwestern Vermont Medical Center
Community Health Needs Assessment 2021