Community Housing and Empowerment Connections, Inc., advocates for the health and safety of Delaware residents. CHEC was originally formed in 2001 to help neighbors struggling with substance use in Rosegate, an underserved community on the Route 9 corridor of New Castle, Delaware, which lacked healthy groceries, safe streets and economic opportunity as a result of historical racism that has frozen the development of more than 30 small towns from Wilmington to Delaware City. “There are programs made available, but the money never trickles down. Those communities are pretty much unchanged and in some cases worse than they were in the ‘60s,” said founder Penny Dryden. She quickly learned, too, that communities were exposed to environmental hazards, ranging from diesel fumes to chemical leaks, contributing to high rates of asthma, heart disease and cancer. CHEC advocates for residents through public education, statewide coalitions, and on-the-ground assistance for families in need.
Presenting about the Community Air Monitoring Network in Belvedere, a community of New Castle County, Delaware. Source: Community Housing & Empowerment Connections
CHEC has one full-time and one part-time employee, with a large network of trained volunteers. It is the founder and lead agency of the Delaware Environmental Justice Community Partnership, which advocates for policies to end pollution and health inequities in communities of color across the state, and is also the home for Delaware Concerned Residents for Environmental Justice, a grassroots organization demanding clean air, water, land and food for all. CHEC provides material assistance to neighbors, conducting “Healthy Homes” assessments to help homeowners identify safety and health hazards and make necessary repairs. Additionally, CHEC is installing air monitors at residents’ homes through the Community Air Monitoring Network for Delaware. New Castle County air quality is rated the worst in the state by the American Lung Association due to particulate matter and high ozone days. With more funding, more homes and more counties will be able to access these low-cost air sensors.
The CHEC Inc. Community Air Monitoring Network team co-locating Clarity air quality sensors at the MLK location of Delaware’s Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control in Wilmington, Delaware. Source: Community Housing & Empowerment Connections