Our health depends on where we live, the food we eat and the air we breath. However, in far too many communities throughout the nation, decades of structural inequities and institutional racism has left people of color and people with low incomes with low-quality housing, polluted air, limited access to healthy food and a lack of other resources that contribute to health and well-being.

The most effective approaches to change policy and practice are informed and ultimately led by communities most affected by health inequities.  By engaging those who are closest to the issues, yet often excluded from decision making, we can create opportunities for all people to achieve well-being.

At Kresge, we champion community-driven and led solutions. Together with our partners, we work to improve housing affordability and quality, mobilize equitable climate action, expand local food production and access to healthy food, and integrate food, art and community to drive equitable neighborhood revitalization. We seek to listen to and nurture youth leadership, support community-determined policy priorities and expand the use of inclusive community-driven models of development that address local housing, food systems, climate resilience and safety needs.

Through this work, we aim to advance racial justice and health equity by supporting community leadership and advocacy to address the social and structural conditions that impact health.

We believe that community driven solutions, particularly those led by historically marginalized communities of color, are necessary to eliminate health inequities and promote healing.