2022 Adopted Resolutions

Advancing Healthy Buildings to Support Community and National Preparedness and Resilience

Resolution Number: 33

1.  WHEREAS, buildings play a leading role in supporting our health and well-being, including our collective ability to prepare for and respond to global health challenges like COVID-19 as well as future threats; and

2.  WHEREAS, people spend 90 percent of their time indoors, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and based on decades of research, individual health is directly connected to the health of our buildings; and

3.  WHEREAS, as we prepare buildings and spaces for re-entry in a post-COVID-19 environment, our buildings will need to serve as a critical line of defense against current and future health threats by adopting evidence-based best practices and strategies to advance health and safety; and

4.  WHEREAS, the National COVID-19 Preparedness Plan released by the Biden Administration in March of 2022 highlights how buildings can help ensure the health and safety of the people inside and also encourages schools, public buildings, and state, local, and Tribal governments to make health and safety improvements and upgrades using American Rescue Plan funds; and

5.  WHEREAS, as the country moves forward and works to fortify against COVID-19 and future threats, cities and businesses alike are now embracing preparedness plans that support health and well-being in buildings to maximize prevention and minimize risk, including the adoption of healthy building tools like the WELL Health-Safety Rating for Facility Operations and Management, an evidence-based, third-party verified rating focusing on operational policies, cleaning protocols, and design strategies; and

6.  WHEREAS, cities, school districts, states, and the federal government, in an effort to lead by example with their respective public buildings, are increasingly deploying WELL, which is now utilized across both the public and private sector markets in more than 30,000 projects representing more than 3 billion square feet of real estate; and

7.  WHEREAS, many leading cities - such as Miami, FL; Chicago, IL; Austin, TX; Portland, OR; Tampa, FL; and Aspen, CO - have now established a strong track record for advancing notable municipal building projects and other publicly funded projects using integrated, evidence-based and third-party-certified healthy building standards, such as WELL and Green Communities; and

8.  WHEREAS, future resilience and recovery will only be possible if the benefits of healthy buildings are widespread, especially as COVID-19 continues to disproportionately impact low-income communities and vulnerable populations; and

9.  WHEREAS, cities continue to work strategically to utilize relevant local policy levers while also leveraging federal funding from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) to advance health and well-being in high-priority building sectors, such as senior and assisting living, healthcare facilities, hospitals, public housing, affordable housing, and schools,

10.  NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors encourages communities to advance healthy buildings as a key strategy to advance community and national preparedness and help chart a path to healthier, resilient and equitable recovery; and

11.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors encourages communities to leverage existing federal funding from ARPA and BIL to consider taking action by leading by example through the adoption of healthy building strategies and tools for municipal and public buildings, such as utilizing programs like WELL and Green Communities 2020, and also encourage these practices in affordable housing or private building projects receiving public funding.

Sponsored by:
Francis X. Suarez (Miami, FL)
Steve Adler (Austin, TX)
Todd Gloria (San Diego, CA)
Corey Woods (Tempe, AZ)