Strategies

What Works for Health includes evidence-informed strategies to create communities where everyone can thrive.

81 Strategies
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Tax increment financing (TIF) for affordable housing

Create designated tax districts that generate revenue to invest in affordable housing initiatives, blight remediation, and economic development efforts
Evidence Rating:
Expert Opinion

Community Conditions

  • Housing and transportation

Societal Rules

  • Budgets

Telecommuting

Allow employees to work outside a central office, using technology to interact with others inside and outside the organization; also called remote work, telework, or flexible working arrangements
Evidence Rating:
Some Evidence

Community Conditions

  • Income, employment and wealth

Societal Rules

  • Institutional practices

Traffic calming

Modify the built environment to affect traffic speed and patterns via speed humps, pedestrian center crossing islands, roundabouts, etc.
Evidence Rating:
Scientifically Supported

Community Conditions

  • Housing and transportation

Transitional and subsidized jobs

Establish time-limited, subsidized, paid jobs to help individuals with barriers to employment transition to unsubsidized employment
Evidence Rating:
Scientifically Supported

Community Conditions

  • Income, employment and wealth

Unemployment insurance (UI)

Increase compensation provided to unemployed workers looking for jobs by expanding eligibility, amount, or duration of benefits
Evidence Rating:
Some Evidence

Community Conditions

  • Income, employment and wealth

Societal Rules

  • Laws and policies
  • Budgets

Universal basic income

Provide all individuals with regular cash transfers, without conditions, over their lifetimes
Evidence Rating:
Expert Opinion

Community Conditions

  • Income, employment and wealth

Societal Rules

  • Laws and policies
  • Worldviews, culture and norms

Walking school buses

Arrange active transportation with a fixed route, designated stops, and pick up times when children can walk to school with adult chaperones
Evidence Rating:
Scientifically Supported

Community Conditions

  • Housing and transportation
  • Diet and exercise
  • Climate

Weatherization assistance program

Provide assistance to families with low incomes to make their homes more energy efficient and to permanently reduce their energy bills
Evidence Rating:
Scientifically Supported

Community Conditions

  • Housing and transportation

Workplace supports for breastfeeding

Support breastfeeding via private, well-equipped lactation spaces in workplaces, along with breastfeeding breaks, flexible schedules, professional lactation support, etc.
Evidence Rating:
Some Evidence

Community Conditions

  • Income, employment and wealth
  • Diet and exercise

Societal Rules

  • Institutional practices

Youth apprenticeship initiatives

Provide participating high school students with professional opportunities that combine academic and on-the-job training or mentorship
Evidence Rating:
Expert Opinion

Community Conditions

  • Income, employment and wealth