Healthy Homes and Healthy Communities
What matters when it comes to wellbeing?

Healthy Homes
and Healthy Communities

What matters when it comes to wellbeing?

Key Factors for Healthy Communities

This website is meant to help build our understanding of common factors that are known to support healthy communities and healthy homes for Albertans. Explore the key factors below to learn more.

Neighbourhood design has wide-spread impacts on community wellbeing through the intentional integration of built, social, natural, food, and economic environments.

Transportation is a critical factor that influences how people move and interact within their communities. Transportation options (e.g., public, private, wheeling and walking) are essential to support wellbeing.

A healthy housing environment is essential for overall human health and wellbeing. It contributes to social and economic resilience and to individual and community prosperity.

A healthy Social Environment promotes a sense of identity, belonging, engagement, empowerment, and connection with one’s neighbourhood or community.

Natural environments support the health and wellbeing of communities and residents. Natural areas provide benefits for Environmental conservation, Social wellbeing, and Economic capital, while promoting a sense of security.

Food accessibility, affordability, and the Diversity of food options all play important roles in shaping a neighbourhood’s Food Environment and people’s opportunities for healthy eating.

Economic development is important for supporting the financial health and wellbeing of communities and residents.

Opportunities for wellbeing throughout the lifespan can shape individuals quality of life, health, and longevity. Creating environments where individuals of all ages can thrive bolsters the wellbeing of a community.

The physical, environmental, and psychological aspects of our homes are important determinants of health and should be considered in unison with our broader community environments.

Societal Focal Areas of Concern

Environmental stewardship, economic uncertainty, and pandemic recovery present unique considerations, challenges, and opportunities to support key healthy home and healthy community factors now, and into the future.

Environmental stewardship refers to the sustainable use and protection of our natural environments and involves the interaction between the environment and human health.

To build and sustain healthy communities, it is important to build resilient Local economies that can support people through unexpected events such as a global pandemic, community disaster, or economic recession.

Major shocks such as COVID-19 require community and individual resilience to overcome and recover from adverse events and prolonged upheaval or change.

Interested in learning more about how and why this website was developed?