ZIP Codes Determine Life Expectancy and Health Outcomes

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“ZIP code, more than any other number, can determine your life expectancy and health outcomes,” said Breanna Lathrop, DNP, MPH, FNP-BC, Good Samaritan Health Center chief operations officer.

In this second of a two-part webinar on housing equity, Lathrop discusses the pervasive factors that affect family and community health and well-being.

“A 20-minute drive in Atlanta, for instance, is a nearly 24-year life expectancy gap between those living the longest and those living the shortest,” she said. “That’s a stark picture of injustice.”

Housing, housing insecurity, and homelessness pose increasing challenges for communities across the state, which is why it is necessary for local decision-makers to listen to—and communicate with—community members to understand local aspects that influence all the factors.

“Solutions are complicated because the problem is complicated and that’s okay,” said Lathrop. “When we understand the complexity of the problem and we have honest conversations, we have a whole new avenue to think about how we can do this differently in the future.”

Watch part two of the Housing Equity webinar with Breanna Lathrop:

Watch part one of the Housing Equity webinar with Malik Watkins, Ph.D., of the University of Georgia Carl Vinson Institute of Government, who says, “Throughout the history of our country, housing is one of the consistent factors in determining quality of life. It takes a community to resolve many of these issues.”

If you have any questions about the webinar, please contact Sonya Hope at sonya@gafcp.org.

 

Contact:
Bill Valladares
GaFCP Communications Director
404-739-0043
william@gafcp.org

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