Del Norte County and Adjacent Tribal Lands
Often known as "The Gateway to the Redwood Coast," Del Norte has seen a growth of leadership surrounding the future of the youth in the community. Following the decline of the timber industry in the 1960's, job creation has come primarily from government, with the opening of a maximum security prison.
Quick Facts
- 12.5% of the 29,949 residents are unemployed
Community Focus
- Developing the local economy, youth-related issues, and land use
Resources
Learn More and Join the BHC Del Norte Movement
SW Merced/East Merced
Southwest and East Merced are proud communities that nonetheless struggle with poverty, unemployment, and educational success. The Merced Building Healthy Community is joining local government, resident-led coalitions, and other community-based organizations to improve the health of the community, safety of the streets, and employment within the community.
Quick Facts
- 30% of the population falls below the poverty line
- 47.9% have less than a high school education and 18.8% are unemployed
Community Focus
- Youth development, safe neighborhoods, and economic development
Resources
Learn More and Join the BHC Merced Movement
South Kern
The South Kern Building Healthy Community is a community of 65,154 residents, many of them farm workers making the most of the region’s rich natural resources. The community faces many struggles including poverty, unhealthy air, unemployment, and low educational attainment.
Quick Facts
- 22.5% are unemployed, 20.5% live below poverty
- 53.7% have less than a high school education
Community Focus
- Public health, food access, and land use
Resources
Learn More and Join the BHC South Kern Movement
South Los Angeles
South LA is a community that struggles with poverty, health care, food access, violence, low educational attainment, and high unemployment. South LA Building Healthy Community is a community of 93,623 residents. Community leaders and community based organizations are engaging residents and local officials to tackle the challenges facing this community.
Quick Facts
- 15% are unemployed
- 35.5% are living below the poverty line and 54.1% have less than a high school education
Community Focus
- Food Access, Health Care Enrollment, and Land Use.
Resources
Learn More and Join the BHC South L.A. Movement
Sacramento
Sacramento has been called one of the most diverse cities in America by Time Magazine, a quality that is evident in the South Sacramento Building Healthy Community where nearly 70,000 residents of various backgrounds live, learn and play. In recent years the community has struggled with unemployment and poverty. Community members are collaborating with elected officials, grassroots advocacy groups, and other community organizations to improve their neighborhoods and schools.
Quick Facts
- 12.7% of its residents are unemployed; ranked third lowest for per capita income out of 51 Sacramento County communities
Community Focus
- Healthy food access, school discipline policies, and enrolling uninsured residents into health coverage programs
Resources
Learn More and Join the BHC Sacramento Movement
Richmond
The Richmond Building Healthy Community is a small residential inner suburb of 28,238 residents with heavy industry that struggles with unemployment, poverty, low educational attainment, and violence. This year the Richmond Building Healthy Community will focus on safety, land use, and economic opportunity.
Quick Facts
- 13.3% are unemployed
- 25.5% live below the poverty line, and 45.7% have less than a high school education
Community Focus
- Safety, land use, and economic opportunity
Resources
Learn More and Join the BHC Richmond Movement
Long Beach
Long Beach is vibrant city with the second busiest port in the United States, as well as a high prevalence of asthma. Recently it experienced a significant drop of median household income. The Long Beach Building Healthy Community struggles with unemployment, poverty, low educational attainment, and homeownership. The Long Beach Unified School District, Long Beach Community College and California State University, Long Beach, established the "Long Beach College Promise" to prepare youth for higher education and provide a college education to every student. Long Beach’s health care system is working with community groups to reduce diabetes and obesity levels within the community.
Quick Facts
- 18.4% are unemployed and 41.7% live below poverty
- 59.1% have less than a high school education, and 15.1% own their home
Community Focus
- School wellness, safety, and land use
Resources
Learn More and Join the BHC Long Beach Movement
East Salinas (Alisal)
East Salinas – or Alisal, as it is popularly known – is a vibrant neighborhood of 32,000 with many immigrant families employed in agriculture, food processing, and hospitality services. East Salinas Building Healthy Community struggles with health insurance, unemployment, educational attainment, and poverty. The community also has the fifth highest percentage of uninsured residents in the state. With the help of a CDC STEPS five year grant and strong political leadership, residents are ready to improve the health of Alisal.
Quick Facts
- 21.8% of the residents are unemployed
- 24.7% live below poverty and 76% have less than a high school education
Community Focus
- Enrolling residents in healthcare, land use, and economic opportunity
Resources
Learn More and Join the BHC East Salinas Movement
East Oakland
With more than 90,000 residents, East Oakland is soon to be a “gateway” to the Bay Area, with a great deal of transit-oriented development underway. The East Oakland Building Healthy Community faces a wide range of challenges, including unemployment, community violence, and poverty. 23.4% of the residents live below poverty and 14.5% are unemployed. Support for youth services is very strong with approximately $17 million a year generated for youth services, and job growth is expected to increase along with transit-oriented development. This year the East Oakland Building Healthy Community is focused on Economic Opportunities, Community Safety, and Food Access..
Quick Facts
- 23.4% of the residents live below poverty
Community Focus
- Community Safety and Food Access
Resources
Learn More and Join the BHC East Oakland Movement
Eastern Coachella Valley
Coachella may be a center of agriculture and tourism for California, but it is one of the poorest areas in the United States. The Coachella Building Healthy Community struggles with poverty, lack of healthcare, and low educational attainment. This year the Coachella Building Healthy Community will partner with community organizations to improve the health of residents, food access, and Land Use.
Quick Facts
- 59.8% have less than a high school education
- 25.8% live below poverty with a per capita income of less than $7,000
Community Focus
- Health of residents, food access, and Land Use
Resources
Learn More and Join the BHC Coachella Movement
City Heights
City Heights is often praised for its diversity, as many of its nearly 80,000 residents are refugees from east Africa, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Latin America. City Heights Building Health Community struggles with poverty, food access, and education. Residents and community organizations have come together and created the community’s first farmer’s market that accepts food stamps and other food program vouchers, as well as a community garden where residents can grow and sell their crops at the farmer’s market.
Quick Facts
- 35.1% of its residents live below poverty, 20.9% own a home
- 52.3% have less than a high school education
Community Focus
- Improving access to health care, food access, land use, and community safety.
Resources
Learn More and Join the BHC City Heights Movement
Central/SE/SW Fresno
Central/West Fresno is home to a diverse population of 70,000 residents that includes many Hmong, Cambodian, and Lao refugees, and an economy primarily driven by agriculture and manufacturing. The Fresno Building Healthy Community struggles with high levels of poverty and unemployment, low educational attainment, and high rates of asthma.
Quick Facts
- 43.4% of the community falls below the poverty line, 22% are unemployed
- 62.8% have less than a high school education
Community Focus
- Improving Air Quality, Economic Opportunities, and Street Safety
Resources
Learn More and Join the BHC Fresno Movement
Central Santa Ana
The Santa Ana Building Healthy Community is a high density, low income neighborhood that struggles with food access, poverty, low educational attainment, and violence. Community-based organizations have networked together to help the Santa Ana build a healthy future for 91,156 residents.
Quick Facts
- 77.1% have less than a high school education
- 23.5% live below the poverty line
Community Focus
- Food access, economic opportunity, and health care enrollment
Resources
Learn More and Join the BHC Santa Ana Movement
Boyle Heights
Boyle Heights is one of the oldest areas in the Los Angeles basin and for the past 40 years, it has been home to one of the largest Chicano/Mexican populations in the United States, with 91.6% of its 73,297 residents being Latino. The Boyle Heights Building Healthy Community struggles with education, youth engagement, and land use issues. Community organizations are working to develop the labor, social, and academic skills; mental and physical health; and overall engagement of youth in the community. Elected officials and organizations are working with residents to help with the lack of homeownership within the community.
Quick Facts
- 68.8% of the population have less than a high school diploma
- 32.8% live below the poverty line, and 21.8% own a home
Community Focus
- Health Care Enrollment, Land Use, and Food Access
Resources
Learn More and Join the BHC Boyle Heights Movement