California to Use Healthy Places Index in State’s Reopening Plan

The California Department of Public Health announced that it will be using the California Healthy Places Index (HPI), a tool created by the Center on Society and Health, as part of their new health equity metric that will be used as part of the state’s COVID-19 reopening plan, Blueprint for a Safer Economy.

The HPI is a tool that lets users explore local factors that predict life expectancy and compare community conditions across the state. It provides overall scores as well as detailed data on policy areas that affect health such as housing, transportation, and education so that policymakers and stakeholders can diagnose community conditions that affect the health and well-being of residents at a neighborhood level. 

The HPI tool will be used to ensure that in addition to meeting overall case and positivity rates, each county must also meet the state’s threshold rate for positivity in neighborhoods with the least opportunities for health before progressing through the state’s blueprint tiers.

It’s important to consider health equity when making major policy decisions. In California as well as much of the U.S., minorities and low-income individuals have been hit the hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic, many of whom are essential workers or lack access to healthcare. According to the California Department of Public Health, Black residents make up about 6% of California’s total population, but about 8% of all COVID-19 related deaths, and while Latinx people represent about 39% of California’s population, they make up 61% of its cases and over 48% of deaths.  

The California HPI was developed in 2018 in partnership with the Public Health Alliance of Southern California (the Alliance). Since its development, it has already been utilized by more than 100 government agencies, health care institutions, community groups, and other sectors. It has also been used to allocate almost half-a-billion dollars from state agencies and philanthropy, helping to direct resources to communities most in need. You can also use and explore the tool on the HPI website.

Learn more about the California Healthy Places Index on our website.