Almost 6 million U.S. families live in substandard housing conditions that put them at risk for significant illness, injury and death, according to a recent report. But with better housing regulations, some inexpensive repairs, ongoing maintenance and small behavior changes, many of the ill effects can be prevented, the report found.
Released in September by the National Center for Healthy Housing, the report provides a detailed analysis of housing conditions in 45 metropolitan areas and underscores the connection between substandard housing conditions and occupants’ health. The report, “The State of Healthy Housing,” is intended to shine a light on the housing conditions that exist in the United States, said APHA member Rebecca Morley, executive director of the National Center for Healthy Housing.
“We’ve known about the health impacts of poor housing conditions since the 19th century, when slums were recognized as leading to outbreaks of cholera, tuberculosis and other communicable diseases,” Morley said. “This report is the first of its kind and will help determine where problems exist so that we can create an action plan to ensure healthy homes are accessible to all families.”
Targeting 20 key housing characteristics tied to occupant health from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Housing Survey, areas of concern include water leaks, roofing problems, damaged interior walls and signs of mice. Water intrusion and roof problems contribute to damp home environments, which have been linked to asthma and other respiratory problems, the report said. Damaged walls present a lead poisoning threat in homes built before 1978, and mice have been implicated in both the development and worsening of asthma.
Illnesses and injuries tied to substandard housing cost the nation about $55 billion a year, the report said.
About 42 percent of the homes in the study had at least one healthy housing problem. San Francisco topped the list, with about 53 percent of homes found to have at least one health-related problem, as compared to the Atlanta area, where only 28 percent of homes were found to have at least one healthy housing problem. Across metropolitan areas, rental properties tended to have more problems than owner-occupied dwellings and central-city housing tended to have more problems than housing outside the center of the city. However, the report found a number of exceptions to the trends. For example, in San Diego, rental housing was found to be healthier than owner-occupied homes, and Chicago’s center-city homes were found to be healthier than homes outside the center of the city. Other community characteristics that influence the healthfulness of a jurisdiction’s housing include housing age and poverty levels, the report said.
Nicolas Retsinas, director of Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies, said the report underscores the need to improve housing conditions across the country.
“The report documents that healthy homes remain elusive for far too many homeowners and renters,” Retsinas said. “The findings in this report should motivate government, business and nonprofit leaders to come together to ensure that all families have a decent place to live.”
Download the report at www.nchh.org.
- Copyright The Nation’s Health, American Public Health Association
