Death vs. Dollars – the next event in the League of Women Voters Bay Area public health series "Is Housing Healthcare - the impact of housing instability and housing quality on our health". 

We will spotlight the increased health risks of unstable and poor-quality living conditions on our health outcomes and discuss whether housing is a health related social need. County of Santa Clara Supervisor Cindy Chavez; Alison Cingolani, Policy Manager, SV@Home; and Melissa Jones, Executive Director of BARHI, will share their expertise.

The series is based on the premise: “Social policy is health policy. Economic policy is health policy. Education policy is health policy.” We are addressing these goals:

• Highlight the role of public health in “addressing the underlying causes of a disease or injury before they occur, promote healthy behaviors, and control the spread of outbreaks and promoting health care equity, quality and accessibility”.
• Examine myriad factors that cause health care issues and extra health care costs, the social justice issues encompassing race, gender, housing, criminal justice, climate, poverty, and gun violence.
• Develop awareness of the depth, breadth, complexity, and severity of the issues, and the causes that perpetuate them.

The goal of LWV Bay Area is to raise awareness of the importance and value of the public health system to our communities as a vital part of the civic health continuum of the League in empowering voters and defending democracy, and to highlight the social determinants of health.

Is health a matter of personal responsibility or a public, collective good?