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21 | This Week | Thursday,February 24,2022 durhamregion.com COME IN AND TRY THEMON RISK-FREE FORONEWEEK CONVENIENCEOF IN-CLINIC AND TELEHEARINGCARE† BY APPOINTMENTONLY Outstanding sound clarity Bluetooth® connectivity Rechargeability Premium technology includes COMPLIMENTARY HEARING ASSESSMENT *Valid for purchases made between February 14, 2022 and March 31, 2022. Special pricing available for purchase of select binaural hearing aids of premium technology (WIDEX 440 and Signia level 7) while supplies last. Cannot be combined with any other offer or promotion and is not redeemable for cash. †A Telehearing Care assessment may not be appropriate or possible for every patient. An in-person hearing assessment is currently the preferred standard of practice. The Bluetooth word mark and logos are owned by the Bluetooth SIG, Inc., and any use of such marks by WSAUD A/S is under license. Other trademarks and trade names are those of their respective owners. thehearingroom.ca on premium hearing aid technologyon premium hearing aid technologyon premium hearing aid technology OUR BEST PRICEOUR BEST PRICE COME IN AND TRY THEMON on premium hearing aid technologyon premium hearing aid technologyon premium hearing aid technology COME IN AND TRY THEMON on premium hearing aid technologyon premium hearing aid technology EVEREVEREVER 866-559-3168 9B-575 Thornton Road North Oshawa, ON North Oshawa Medical Centre 1400 Ritson Road North, Unit 201 Oshawa, ON Glazier Medical Centre Main Floor Area J 11 Gibb Street, Oshawa, ON 1624 Dundas St. East, Whitby, ON L1N 2K8 (905) 433-0080 • www.doddandsouter.ca HOURS: Monday to Thursday 9am - 6pm | Friday 9am - 5pm | Saturday 9am - 4pm | Sunday CLOSED F l oo r i n g I nsp i r ed By L i f e During the pandemic, many of us have been working, learning and so- cializing remotely from home. Our homes are no lon- ger the places where we spend our after-work and after-school hours. Instead, it has become the focal setting where every aspect of our lives occurs. Inequalities in COVID-19 infection and fatality rates across neighbourhoods have also illuminated the importance of our neighbourhood contexts for shaping our health. Low-income neighbourhoods with high population density, large shares of overcrowded households, and limited green space and walkability proved to be particularly vulnerable to COVID-19 infections. These developments have revealed that living in homes and neighbourhoods with sufficient health-promoting amenities is essential to ensure our well-being and health. They have also exposed problems in our housing and urban planning policies that deprive large segments of Canadians from exercising this basic right. What problems must we address to build living environments that promote our health and reduce our vulnerability to infectious diseases? We must increase the supply of affordable housing. Soaring real estate prices and limited housing affordability meant a rise in the share of working- and middle-class families who had to reside in overcrowded households with lower quality amenities. Residents of overcrowded households have a higher risk of COVID-19 transmission because they cannot selfisolate if they become infected. Our efforts to rebuild our towns and cities must also strive for the creation of sustainable neighbourhoods with sufficient green space and other health-promoting amenities. Not only does green space improve the esthetics of neighbourhoods, but it also promotes an active and healthier life-style. Highly walkable neighbourhoods also reduce their residents' vulnerability to infectious diseases by reducing the amount of time they spend running errands. Finally, policy efforts to rebuild cities must deviate from a one-size-fits- all approach and tailor their rebuilding responses to meet the needs of residents of each neighbourhood. A recent study found that neighbourhood walkability was more important for residents of poorer neighbourhoods largely because they had lower car ownership rates and ran their errands on foot. This finding illustrates that residents of lower-income neighbourhoods may depend more on communal resources because they lack personal resources. We must use the insights obtained from the pandemic to inform housing and urban planning policies. How successful we are in incorporating these insights may hold the key to preventing future pandemics. Kate Choi, PhD., is associate professor in sociology and director of the Centre for Research on Social Inequality at Western University. POST-PANDEMIC EFFORTS TO REBUILD OPINION: OUR CHANGED WORLD THE IMPORTANCE OF INCREASING HOUSING SUPPLY, BUILDING SUSTAINABLE NEIGHBOURHOODS, AND TAILORING SOLUTIONS KATE CHOI Column