Poor nutrition, physical inactivity, unhealthy weight, a lack of healthcare coverage, and where people live can lead to serious health risks and conditions, greater medical costs, financial hardship, and a lower quality of life. For this reason, HFL’s Healthy Living is focused on Healthy Eating and Active Living, Healthcare Access, and the 46350 Housing Strategy. 

 

Healthy Eating and Active Living 

Obesity increases the risk of many health conditions and diseases, including heart disease, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, stroke, liver and gallbladder disease, respiratory problems, cancer, and osteoarthritis. Maintaining a healthy weight helps to prevent and control these diseases, which are severe obstacles to a person’s ability to live a long and fulfilling life. Obesity also carries significant economic costs due to increased healthcare spending and lost earnings. 

 

Access to healthy foods is a key component to healthy eating habits. Low-income and underserved areas often have limited access to healthy foods as stores selling healthy foods may not be located nearby, the stores may not accept various types of payment, there may not be reliable transportation to the store, and the foods may not be affordable or culturally familiar. Additionally, food insecurity, defined as limited availability or uncertain ability to access nutritionally adequate foods, is associated with chronic health problems including diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, hyperlipidemia, obesity, and mental health conditions.  

 

Through HFL’s Healthy Living priority, HFL is committed to helping La Porte County residents improve their physical health through regular physical activity, access to nutritious food, and healthy eating habits. The result we seek is: 

 

La Porte County residents are physically active and eat nutritious foods. 

​

Healthcare Access 

Access to healthcare is fundamental to good health. Access can be limited by affordability, availability of providers and services, transportation, and acceptability among patients, among other factors.  

 

Inadequate health insurance coverage is one of the biggest barriers to accessing healthcare. Health insurance protects people from unexpected, high medical costs, reducing financial strain on people and communities. It makes healthcare more affordable and accessible and is linked to improved productivity, better health outcomes, and lower death rates. People without health insurance are less likely to get the healthcare and medications that they need. They are less likely to get routine checkups and preventive screenings and are more likely to seek treatment once the condition is more advanced and more difficult to treat.  

 

Transportation and provider shortages are other major barriers to healthcare access in the community. Additionally, hours of operation, the need to make appointments, and language limit access for many community members.  

 

HFL is committed to improving access to healthcare in La Porte County. The result we seek is: 

 

La Porte County residents can access the healthcare services and medications they need. 

​

46350 Housing Strategy 

Housing and where people live influence all aspects of life, including health and safety, access to opportunity, economic mobility, and quality of life. 

 

In 2022, Health Foundation of La Porte joined forces with the City of La Porte to assess current and future housing needs in the City of La Porte. HFL contracted SB Friedman, a real estate development advisory firm based in Chicago, to conduct an in-depth study and then prepare a detailed housing strategy for the City.  

 

The study found that the City of La Porte--like many other communities throughout the country--is facing several housing-related challenges. These include a reduced supply of units in both the for-sale and the rental housing markets, underproduction of new housing in recent years, an aging housing stock, and a limited supply of workforce and rent-restricted housing and housing for people with special housing needs. 

 

Building on the housing strategy, as well as the City of La Porte’s Heart of La Porte plan, HFL partnered with the University of Notre Dame School of Architecture’s Housing and Community Regeneration Initiative to conduct a Charrette. Through the Charrette, which is a type of study, a vision for the regeneration of downtown La Porte and an action plan to implement the vision were created.  

 

Indicators for the 46350 Housing Strategy are under consideration. Please check back for updates