HomeMy WebLinkAboutCarri Fox RummelhartWhat does sustainability mean to you?
Carri collected data in 2015 for the STAR Community
Rating System, a national certification that provides a
framework for local governments to measure sustainability
within their community.
“When I started STAR, I wasn’t really clear on what
sustainability meant,” Carri said. “I, like many people,
thought that sustainability was about being ‘green.’ It
wasn’t until I started looking at the categories in the
STAR matrix that I realized that sustainability included
built environment, climate, equity, education, art/culture,
natural environment, and safety. I was particularly excited to see that equity was a part
of the matrix. Due to my experience with STAR, I now realize that sustainability really is about working together to
make our community livable, with the ability to survive over time.”
How is sustainability incorporated into your position?
“My position incorporates sustainability by allowing eligible participants the opportunity to access safe, affordable hous-
ing. A person’s or family’s housing is extremely important. If this basic need isn’t met, then this instability spills over to
other areas of one’s life, potentially affecting one’s health and well-being. For instance, if you have a child in school and
are continually moving from place to place and school to school, this behavior disrupts the learning process, making it
harder for the child to succeed academically and socially. Various statistics have also shown that safe, affordable
housing in a community can decrease crime rates. In addition, substandard housing conditions can also lead to a variety
of health problems. Having safe, affordable housing plays a key role in making our community sustainable by increasing
the health, safety, and well-being of our residents.”
What actions have you taken to improve sustainability within your position?
“The Housing Authority is constantly reviewing current policies and procedures to ensure that each policy allows eligi-
ble participants the best possible opportunity to secure safe and affordable housing.”
In your opinion, what efforts can be made to improve sustainability?
“I believe it is important to get each City department thinking about the broader impact their department or division
has on the different areas of the community, the interconnectedness of each department’s work, and how we can
partner to improve the overall livability of the residents in this community. The Iowa City Housing Authority’s primary
task is to provide eligible residents with an opportunity to access safe and affordable housing, but may be able to
provide valuable insight as to how housing may affect access to healthy food and trans-
portation or vice versa. So often we are so focused on the details of our own puzzle
piece that we forget to look at how all of the pieces are connected to the entire
picture of the puzzle.”
For more information about the City of Iowa City’s sustainability efforts, visit
www.icgov.org/sustainability, subscribe to our Sustainable Iowa City newsletter at
www.icgov.org/e-subscriptions, or follow #SustainableIC on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
Sustainability Spotlight:
Carri Fox-Rummelhart
Program Assistant, City of Iowa City Housing Authority Division