Greener Guidance: Outreach to Renters

Dec 20, 2019 | Michelle Shapiro

Note: Greener Guidance is NACCHO’s environmental health advice column. See past columns here. Submit a question here.

December 2019

Dear Greener Guidance,

I work on environmental health and specifically rodent control at the local government level. We’re looking to increase education and outreach to our residents about rodent prevention, specifically targeting the many renters who live in our city as much of our previous outreach was mostly only used by property owners. What are some education strategies that are successful in reaching renters?

– Ridding the Renters of Rodents

Dear Ridding,

John H. Larch III, MPA, PE, CFM, on the Board of Health for the Cumberland County Health Department in Fayetteville, NC, offers the following outreach advice:

I work full-time with a local storm water program. Part of our work includes educational outreach to help reduce surface water pollution.

We have worked with local utilities to include a small informational insert in utility bills to spread our message. We have found this to be effective at reaching the people actually living at a given address, since they typically pay the utility bills even if they aren’t the property owner.

We also set-up an informational booth at community events. You may want to see if there is a block party, outdoor festival, etc. that takes place near some of the apartment complexes you are trying to provide information too.

Another idea might be to see if there is a local association of property managers that could distribute your message in a monthly newsletter or provide materials at a meeting. These groups may even let you speak for a few minutes at a luncheon.

Also, we spoke with one of NACCHO’s program analysts who works on our tobacco program, which includes communicating to renters about smoke-free housing. Based on this work, she recommends:

  • forming community/resident coalitions,
  • posting fliers and advertisements in the apartment buildings,
  • reaching out to landlords to contact renters,
  • putting the policies into resident leases, and
  • putting educational pamphlets in mailboxes.

Lastly, for more rodent control-specific guidance, we point you to a rodent control resource from NACCHO. In 2015, NACCHO and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) conducted a study to understand the current capacity of local rodent control programs across the United States. We assessed nine local rodent control programs to identify best practices, challenges, and technical assistance needs. This document presents an overview of the findings, as well as case studies summarizing each program.


636530147572900000

About Michelle Shapiro

Michelle Shapiro was formerly a communication specialist for the Environmental Health & Disability team at NACCHO.

More posts by Michelle Shapiro

Related Posts

Emergency Prep
  • Communications & Public Relations
  • Emergency Response

When Public Health Meets Misinformation: Acknowledging...

At the recently concluded NACCHO Preparedness Summit in Atlanta, GA, a workshop...

May 30, 2023 | Anu Varma

When Public Health Meets Misinformation: Acknowledging...

Testing pool 2

Healthy and Safe Swimming Week Webinar + Resources

Catch up on the latest MAHC Network webinar to safeguard public health around...

May 24, 2023 | Anu Varma

Healthy and Safe Swimming Week Webinar + Resources

Wastewater plant testing
  • COVID-19
  • Tools & Resources

New Resource on Wastewater-based Disease Surveillance...

See a new digital resource that explores the science behind wastewater...

May 23, 2023 | Anu Varma

New Resource on Wastewater-based Disease Surveillance...

R 3
  • Press Release

Local Health Departments from Indiana, Illinois, and...

NACCHO, the voice of the nation’s nearly 3,000 local health departments,...

May 10, 2023 | NacchoVoice

Local Health Departments from Indiana, Illinois, and...

Children running 2

Lead Exposure Prevention Education Videos from the CDC

The CDC and AAP developed two community lead exposure prevention education...

May 05, 2023 | Anu Varma

Lead Exposure Prevention Education Videos from the CDC

Ci  About  People Searing Listening To Speaker
  • Climate Change
  • Training

Climate for Health Ambassador Training at the 2023...

Join a discussion of how health professionals can engage in climate action.

Apr 14, 2023

Climate for Health Ambassador Training at the 2023...

Wastewater plant testing

Report: Strengthening Local Capacity for Wastewater...

How a mentorship program supported local health departments responding to...

Apr 14, 2023 | Anu Varma

Report: Strengthening Local Capacity for Wastewater...

Testing pool 2
  • Webinar

Swimming Safe with the Latest Edition of the Model...

Review the latest changes to the Model Aquatic Health Code but look ahead to...

Apr 13, 2023 | Anu Varma

Swimming Safe with the Latest Edition of the Model...

Improvement
  • Food Safety & Inspection
  • Research & Reports

NACCHO’s Retail Program Standards Mentorship Program: A...

NACCHO conducted a retrospective review to assess the effectiveness of the...

Apr 10, 2023 | Anu Varma, Kellie Hall, MSOD

NACCHO’s Retail Program Standards Mentorship Program: A...

Back to Top