PHX Reporter

Maricopa County has joined forces with Arizona State University (ASU) to tackle a pressing health issue in the community: a 14-year life expectancy gap between residents of South Phoenix and North Scottsdale. The Board of Supervisors recently approved $1 million in Community Solutions Funding to support Supervisor Steve Gallardo’s vision for a Community Well-Being Hub.

Supervisor Gallardo, who represents South Phoenix and District 5, expressed concern about the disparity. "It’s a simple fact that where you live, even down to the ZIP code, can impact your quality of life. But honestly, when I heard just how big the life expectancy gap is between folks in my district and folks in other parts of town, I knew we had to do something,” he said.

The research highlights an even larger discrepancy for Black and Hispanic communities within District 5, exacerbated by an additional three-year gap due to the pandemic.

The funding will facilitate the creation of a Community Well-Being Hub as part of a five-year initiative aimed at improving health and well-being in District 5. Gallardo emphasized the importance of addressing economic disparities: “As someone who has represented this area for more than two decades, I know there are a lot of reasons why residents of South Phoenix don’t live as long on average, and certainly, economic disparity is one of them. But what we really want to do with this initiative is focus on what interventions we can put in place to reduce that life expectancy gap and, most importantly, improve the quality of people’s lives.”

ASU’s College of Health Solutions and the Equality Health Foundation have already engaged over 800 stakeholders through six Community Voices meetings to collect resident feedback. The next step involves developing a comprehensive plan focused on social determinants of health. This plan will include implementing programs aimed at enhancing well-being, quality of life, health outcomes, longevity, and economic vitality in South Phoenix.

Each year, Maricopa County allocates Community Solutions Funding to supervisors to advance strategic goals that benefit residents. More information about recent projects can be found on the Maricopa County News page.