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The following Lead & Demolition: Policy and Practices for a Healthier St. Louis policy brief and the Safe Demolition and Healthy Homes (SDHH) were prepared as part of the Capstone of my Master’s program.

Lead & Demolition: Policy and Practices for a Healthier St. Louis

The policy brief was a continuation of policy research that I conducted while working with Cara Spencer, a member of the St. Louis City Board of Alderman. It was written to showcase interest in lead poisoning prevention due to lead dust released during demolitions, which are overseen by the St. Louis Building Division. By reviewing national evidence-based programs and effective policy changes, I found policies and dust-minimizing methods that can be implemented in St. Louis.

Safe Demolition and Healthy Homes (SDHH)

I created the program plan for the SDHH pilot to target lead exposure prevention through education, demolition transparency, and community engagement. Families of children under the age of 6 that reside in St. Louis city wards with high rates of child lead poisoning (CLP) are assigned a community health worker (CHW) to connect them with resources and educate them on lead exposure prevention and establish a streamlined process for community notification. It would have been an extension of the Saint Louis Vacancy Collaborative, a non-profit organization of St. Louis partners committed to reducing the negative impacts of vacant housing within vulnerable communities.