Community Health Assessment and Improvement Plan

To understand the health of our community, the Health, Housing, and Community Services Department conducts a Community Health Assessment and develops a Community Health Improvement Plan every three years. Together, the Community Health Assessment and Community Health Improvement Plan offer a community-shaped vision and action steps to improve health and equity in Berkeley.  

Health includes a broad set of topics, including, but not limited to, life expectancy, poverty, environmental hazards, violence, housing, and mental health.   A Community Steering Committee, made up of individuals from diverse identities and backgrounds, works in collaboration with City staff to develop the assessment and the plan.  

Community Health Assessment  

The Community Health Assessment (CHA) looks at the current state of health and equity in Berkeley. It identifies strengths and gaps in our community’s wellness. The assessment is based on census and other health data, interviews and focus groups with local community members, and a survey shared with the Berkeley community.  

The assessment identified six key findings:  

1. There is a lot to be proud of when it comes to wellness in Berkeley: Life expectancy and quality of life is high overall
2. Diversity is highly valued and racism is deeply rooted: There are significant disparities in health and life expectancy across racial groups
3. Health is connected to where people live: South and West Berkeley face greater health challenges and environmental hazards
4. More transparency and collaboration are needed to increase trust and effectiveness of health improvement efforts: Concerns about limited capacity for services and difficulty navigating across providers
5. Berkeley is becoming a more difficult place for people to afford to live well: Rising housing costs creates stress and displaces residents, impacting health and wellbeing
6. Connection and safety are essential for supporting mental and physical well-being: Reducing crime and creating spaces to build community supports public safety  

Read the full Community Health Assessment  

Community Health Improvement Plan 

The Community Health Improvement Plan identifies key priority areas to address the health disparities outlined in the Community Health Assessment and actionable steps for the City of Berkeley to take to meaningfully improve health outcomes for our community. The improvement plan identifies four main areas of focus: 

1. Housing: Being able to live in a place that is safe, affordable, and stable.
2. Environmental Health: Being safe from things like pollution and wildfire, having clean air, water, and land, having access to parks and green spaces, and dealing with the effects of climate change.
3. Behavioral Health: Addressing how common mental health and substance use problems are (like depression, anxiety, loneliness and stress), and if people can get the care they need.
4. Community Safety: how often people get hurt or experience violence and whether everyone feels safe in all areas of Berkeley. 

This plan is part of a community- driven process designed to improve the health of the community. View a short video to learn more about the process of creating this plan. To stay informed of updates, please sign up for our email list. 

Read the full Community Health Improvement Plan.