PACE EH post project assessment of quality of life changes in a Florida community related to infrastructure improvements.

The Indian River county health department, environmental health division (IRCHD EH) in Florida implemented the Protocol for Assessing Community Excellence in Environmental Health (PACE EH) in the low-income community of West Wabasso, Florida. Over two and a half years, IRCHD EH worked with the community and various governmental agencies to bring much-needed improvements to the area. At the end of the two and a half years, a survey was conducted to discover if the residents' quality of life had increased due to the community's improvements. The survey results yielded high satisfaction rates among residents. The general response was that their feelings of safety and overall well-being attributed to infrastructure improvements in their community had increased significantly. An unforeseen benefit realized by all parties involved was a renewed trust in government. The majority of surveyed residents (91%) felt that governmental agencies were better able to respond to their issues.