Wellness and Engagement in CityHousing Hamilton

“Challenge:
What can we do to overcome the barriers that seniors face when engaging with wellness programs offered by CityHousing Hamilton? ”

CHH Sites at Jackson St. and Hess St.

Students:
Robert Etherington, Zoë Grant, Coomal Rashid, Gagandeep Saini

Staff:
Kelly Coxson (Community Development Coordinator,  CityHousing Hamilton)

Instructor:
Kate Whalen

Course and Department:
Sustainability 4S06, Academic Sustainability Program, McMaster University

Course and Department:Construction Engineering Technician - Building Renovation – 462

Partner: City Housing Hamilton

Seniors Knitting

Within the next decade, the number of seniors in Hamilton will double.  In order to facilitate successful aging, CityHousing Hamilton (CHH) provides senior residents with wellness programs. However, low engagement in these programs means residents are not receiving information on identifying and managing chronic illnesses, which then threatens the sustainability of our healthcare system.

Robert, Zoë, Coomal and Gagandeep created a study design and applied for Research Ethics approval. They surveyed staff on the barriers to resident engagement and compiled a summary report with information from staff, students, and program instructors on most prominent barriers to engagement, finding them to be language, mobility and eyesight. Finally they used their summary report to develop a focused survey for residents to clarify and confirm initial findings from staff surveys. 

Next, the students will implement multiple trials of their proposed solution which may include new promotional and/or engagement strategies. Once that is complete they will analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of each trial to provide information on lessons learned and recommendations for long-term use. Ultimately they will share their findings through a presentation and written report to CityHousing Hamilton. 

“We were surprised by how willing the residents were to engage with us and provide their feedback!”

“This project has allowed us to co-create with a staff member, challenging us to be independent, flexible, and adaptable.”

Student SoBi Connection

“Challenge:
How might we make active transportation more attractive for the McMaster community? ”

McMaster students riding SoBi bikes

Student Names:
Mostafa Mohammed, Nicole Crimi, Brian Zheng & Daniel Park

Staff Member:
Don Curry (Health Promotion Specialist, Public Health) & Pete Topalovic (Project Manager – Transportation Demand Management, Public Works)

Instructor:
Sean Park

Course and Department:
Health Science 4ID3, McMaster Health Leadership Academy, McMaster University

Partner: SoBi Hamilton

Sobi bikes prepared to be moved on McMaster’s central campus

While there are numerous benefits to active transportation methods, including being physically active, increasing social interactions, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, a large portion of Hamiltonians are utilizing non-active transportation methods when travelling less that 1 kilometer distances. For years now, McMaster students have been provided with an annual HSR bus pass to utilize for transportation within the city, and since SoBi Hamilton, the local bike share program, was launched two years ago, there has not been significant ridership from McMaster students. This is a problem considering SoBi is physically well-connected in the McMaster community, offers flexible membership options, and has significant benefits as an active transportation option.

Students Mostafa, Nicole, Brian and Daniel consulted community stakeholders and collaborated with other teams to conduct research on why fewer students use active transportation. They then developed areas of focus and problems to tackle, as well as potential approaches and a plan of action. Finally developed an intervention to run a student referendum in January 2018 to streamline the account creation and payment process for undergraduate students.

Next, the students will conduct primary research through surveys and prototypes to support the referendum or identify stronger proposals. They will do this by consulting students to determine the effectiveness of potential solutions and identify strengths and weaknesses in order to strengthen our project. Some of the reccomendations they had were: providing a SoBi trial for students at McMaster or trial the prototype in collaboration with another team and pass it through political referendum at McMaster University. 

“We were surprised by the limited interventions provided by the university in order to encourage active transportation, as well as the frequency of short, inactive trips. We were impressed by the malleability and success of SoBi and the potential it holds for expansion within our community.
”

Growing Bridges: Improving Regional Food Security by Increasing Engagement with the McQuesten Urban Farm

“Challenge:
How might we motivate and encourage residents of CityHousing to engage with the McQuesten Urban Farm? ”

Youth Programming

Student Names:
Jethro Krause, Muhammed Aydin, Kathleen Eva & Ikra Saeed

Staff:
Jocelyn Strutt (Project Manager, Neighbourhood Action Strategy)

Instructor:
Kate Whalen

Course and Department:
Sustainability 4S06, Academic Sustainability Program, McMaster University

Partner: McQuesten Urban Farm

McQuesten Urban Farm

Neighbourhood Programming

In addition to providing educational, recreational, and employment opportunities, McQuesten Urban Farm aims to tackle the problem of food insecurity through providing fresh, local and affordable produce to residents of the McQuesten neighbourhood and the City of Hamilton. However, volunteer and consumer engagement with the farm is lacking in the community, particularly among those of lower socio-economic status. As a result, the farm’s impact is not realizing its full potential in addressing food security issues or educational opportunities.

Students Jethro, Muhammed, Kathleen, Ikra completed secondary research to gain a stronger understanding of demographics specific to CityHousing and food insecurity in Hamilton, as well as the history of McQuesten Urban Farm. They then brainstormed potential research questions for community feedback in order to identify a solution that will meet the needs of the McQuesten neighbourhood community. Finally they built relationships with residents involved in the McQuesten Urban Farm living in CityHousing, and worked with the Neighbourhood Action Strategy who connected them with community experts.

Next, the students will engage community members by developing partnerships with local community organizations' existing networks and test their hypothesis as to what the root causes are for the community disengagement with McQuesten Urban Farms. They will do this through implementing pilot programs and solutions that can work alongside existing programs in order to create more long-term sustainability. 

“An urban farm  can provide not only access to healthy food, but employment for residents, educational programming, and community development opportunities.”

“Problems today are being tackled through implementation of technology, when sometimes there are much simpler and more effective methods through community engagement.”