Healthy Investments
Integrating health in all investments
Quality of life is an increasingly essential investment for communities as they compete to recruit and retain workforce and residents. A community’s livability and lovability are inherently tied to access to daily needs such as trails, parks, walkability, safety, healthy foods, family-friendly destinations, quality schools and jobs. By 2023, we want to enhance the ability of Billings and Yellowstone County to respond to the demand for livability through community investments that directly impact the health and wellbeing of area residents.
Creating a local framework
Health in All Investments
The Health in All Investments Framework is designed to support businesses and investors committed to improving local livability and retaining a healthy, talented workforce. By assessing overlapping priorities from the Community Health Needs Assessment and those named by City Council and the 2016 City Growth Policy, and collecting national and local examples of impactful, upstream investments, the group is developing a set of criteria to serve as a local guide. Ultimately, this will be used to create a resource to promote Health in All Investments for a healthier, more vibrant Yellowstone County.
Building civic muscle
Sense of belonging and civic muscle, or the ability to actively engage in one’s community, are important considerations for overall well being. Residents who are active members of their neighborhood, town, or social groups tend to have higher levels of trust, cooperation, and social capital to create positive change across groups, organizations, and sectors. Policies, systems, and places that make it easy to be engaged and put resident input into action foster greater social capital and increased likelihood of our strategy’s success.
Current efforts to increase civic muscle include a Livability and Walkability Forum for city council candidates and the development of one page overviews of various city plans.
