Someone born in Denver today likely would live to be about 78 years old, according to the city’s Community Health Assessment. But someone living in Globeville would only make it to about 72.8 years old, according to the assessment.
A resident of Hilltop, on the other hand, would be expected to live to 85.9 years, 13.1 years longer than the Globeville resident.
Nathan Keffer of the Denver Department of Health and Environment gave a presentation on the assessment Wednesday during the Safety, Housing, Education and Homelessness Committee meeting of the City Council.
By race, non-Hispanic Asians in the city live the longest, to 84, while American Indian and Alaskan natives only live to about 56.2 years old, according to the presentation.
Health assessment reveals disparities
Keffer said the assessment revealed these great disparities and the need for equity in access to healthcare. The assessment showed that more than 90,000 Denverites are uninsured.
Denverites also have trouble paying their rent. Thirty-seven percent are cost-burdened, according to the assessment, meaning they are paying more than 30% of their incomes toward rent. The need for affordable housing ranked fifth in the assessment.
Systemic racism problematic
Systemic racism also is a problem in Denver leading to health disparities, according to the assessment. Approximately 45% of Denver identifies as non-white, according to the assessment. Many struggle with issues related to gentrification, equity and discrimination, the assessment showed.
Also impacting the health of Denverites, according to the assessment, is a lack of belonging among transgender identifying high school students, firearm-related homicides among men of color, food insecurity, low income, overdoses among people experiencing homelessness, school drop-out rates among select vulnerable populations and transportation access.
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