FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 6, 2008
CONTACT:
Patrick MacRoy
Alliance for Healthy Homes
pmacroy@afhh.org
202-347-7610 x 14
Phillip Dodge
National Center for Healthy Housing
pdodge@nchh.org
443-539-4168
October 6, 2008—Washington, DC. The National Center for Healthy
Housing (NCHH) and the Alliance for Healthy Homes praised the introduction
of new legislation geared toward improving the quality of housing in the
United States.
Senate bill S. 3654, introduced by Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), emphasizes
cost-effective approaches and market-based incentives to make homes healthier
and safer without detracting from their affordability. Entitled the Research,
Hazard Intervention, and National Outreach for Healthier Housing Act,
the multi-faceted legislation aims to improve research, enhance the capacity
of federal programs, and expand national outreach efforts.
Bill provisions include:
• Provides funding for existing federal housing programs, such as
CDBG, HOME, and LIHEAP to add healthy homes components to their programs.
• Leverages the private market interest in healthy homes by creating
a voluntary “Healthy Homes Seal of Approval” modeled after
the successful Energy Star program.
• Authorizes $7,000,000 for each of the next five years for the
National Institute of Environmental Health Science and the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to evaluate the health risks and
human health effects of indoor exposure to chemical pollutants including
carbon monoxide, chemical asthma triggers, and common household and garden
pesticides.
• Authorizes $6,000,000 for the Department of Housing and Urban
Development (HUD) to study methods for the assessment and control of housing-related
health hazards.
• Provides $10,000,000 for HUD and CDC to study the indoor environmental
quality of existing housing and to create a system for monitoring housing
related hazards.
"Senator Reed's legislation provides a course of action for creating
healthier and therefore more affordable housing, promotes the healthy
growth and development of children and has the potential to save billions
in health care costs, improve school outcomes and strengthen disenfranchised
communities," said Dr. Peter Simon, Assistant Medical Director, Division
of Community, Family Health and Equity, Rhode Island Department of Health.
“The places people live undoubtedly impact their health and well-being.
Residents of housing that is poorly designed, constructed, or maintained
are at risk for cancer, injuries, childhood lead poisoning, and asthma.
With more than 100 million existing homes in the U.S., it is critical
that we direct attention and resources to maintaining this important infrastructure
in a manner that supports the health of families,” said Rebecca
Morley, executive director of the National Center for Healthy Housing.
Approximately 6,000,000 households live with moderate or severe housing
problems, including heating, plumbing, and electrical problems. And even
though lead-based paint was banned in 1978, 24 million households still
face significant lead-based paint hazards. Providing healthier housing
in the United States will help prevent an estimated 240,000 elevated blood
lead levels, 18,000 unintentional injury deaths, and 2,000,000 emergency
room visits for asthma.
“Senator Reed’s legislation provides a long awaited roadmap
for creating healthier homes across the country,” said Alliance
for Healthy Homes Executive Director, Patrick MacRoy. “By providing
key funding for capacity building and helping to break down bureaucratic
barriers at the Federal level, this legislation will help ensure that
our children and our families are safe in their homes.”
In March 2008, Senators Reed (D-RI) and Hagel (R-NE) introduced legislation
creating the first Council on Healthy Housing, which would bring together
Federal, State, and local government representatives, as well as industry
and non-profit representatives to address the issue of healthy homes.
Click
here for the full text of the Research, Hazard Intervention,
and National Outreach for Healthier Homes Act of 2008.
For a summary of the bill, please visit: http://www.centerforhealthyhousing.org/html/projects__policy.htm
# # #
The National Center for Healthy Housing (NCHH) is the
only national scientific and technical non-profit organization dedicated
to creating healthy and safe homes for America’s children through
practical and proven steps. NCHH develops scientifically valid and practical
strategies to make homes safe from hazards, to alert low- income families
about housing-related health risks, and to help them protect their children.
NCHH also works with governmental and non-governmental organizations to
develop standards and programs and guide their implementation through
insurers, lenders, federal and state laws and regulations, community organizations,
and the courts.
The Alliance for Healthy Homes is the national, nonprofit
public interest organization advocating for practical, affordable policy
solutions and working to build community capacity to prevent housing-related
hazards from harming the health of children, their families, and other
residents. The Alliance stresses the importance of fixing housing-related
health hazards before they cause harm; housing that is decent, environmentally
safe, and affordable for all; and holistic strategies that efficiently
address multiple hazards and their underlying causes. The Alliance works
closely with policy makers, community-based organizations, housing providers,
government agencies, and other stakeholders. The Alliance provides strategic
and technical support to community-based organizations and state and local
agencies across the nation.
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