The La Plata County Public Health Department has identified a need for a Healthy Homes program here in our local community. We have received a Colorado State Tobacco Education and Prevention Partnership grant for a program designed to improve indoor living conditions to promote better health and well-being for our residents. The program focuses on addressing environmental hazards within the home that can negatively impact health, particularly for vulnerable populations such as children, the elderly, people with preexisting health conditions, or disproportionately impacted individuals and families.
The average person spends much of their time inside a home. Therefore, it is important that your home environment is safe and healthy for everyone living in it. Characteristics of a healthy home include clean air, water and food; a safe physical environment; a lack of pests; and protection from toxic household products. The Healthy Homes program will help educate and provide resources to residents about how to make their homes healthy homes.
According to the National Center for Healthy Housing: “Hazardous conditions found in unsafe housing can lead to lead poisoning, asthma and other respiratory illnesses, cancer, and unintentional injuries or death. These outcomes result in poor school attendance and performance for children, missed workdays for parents and the loss of loved ones for all. These hazards and their health impacts disproportionately affect communities of color and low-income communities, making the need for healthy housing a significant environmental and racial justice issue. The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed, urgently, our need for safer, healthier and affordable housing. During the pandemic, the increased time spent at home and challenges to healthy housing service delivery not only affected health negatively but also displayed – in sharp contrast – the long-standing crisis of inequitable access to quality housing and health care. In addition, climate change and the associated increase in both incidence and severity of extreme weather events are expanding the scope of policies contributing to healthy housing.”
The NCHH also provides these facts about healthy housing in Colorado:
- Between 2005 and 2021, 30 counties in Colorado had 50% or more of their homes test above the EPA radon action level; 48.8% of total statewide tests came back above the action level.
- Approximately 10% of adults in Colorado currently have asthma (2020).
- In Colorado, 30% of children live in households with a high housing cost burden, and 12% of children live in poverty.
- In 2020, 262 Colorado children tested had an elevated blood lead level (5 μg/dL or more). Fewer than 20,000 children in the state were tested.
- 44% of Colorado housing was built before 1978 and may contain lead-based paint.
- On average, 23 Coloradans die annually from carbon monoxide exposure (2015-19).
- Unintentional falls were responsible for 863 deaths among Coloradans over the age of 65 in 2020.
Key components of the new Healthy Homes program in our county may include home assessments, education and outreach, monitoring and evaluation, and support services. The program also allows for smoking-cessation education and opportunities for greater partnerships and collaboration.
Following the principles of a healthy home can greatly reduce your risk and protect or improve your health. These principles include:
- Keep it dry: Keep the home free of moisture.
- Keep it clean: Keep the home free of dirt and grime.
- Keep it safe: Keep the home free of hazards like lead, mold and asbestos.
- Keep it ventilated: Ensure the home has adequate air circulation.
- Keep it pest-free: Keep the home free of pests like rodents and insects.
- Keep it contaminant-free: Keep the home free of harmful substances.
- Keep it maintained: Keep the home in good repair.
- Keep it thermally controlled: Keep the home at a comfortable temperature.
Regular maintenance and repairs of your home are essential to keeping your home a safe environment. More information can be found at the National Center for Healthy Housing website, www.nchh.org.
Overall, the goal of the Healthy Homes program is to create living environments that support the health and safety of occupants, prevent illness and enhance quality of life while reducing the burden on health care.
We are actively seeking referrals! If you live in La Plata County and have questions, concerns or would like to request a home safety visit, please complete the online form located on the La Plata County website at www.lpcgov.org/healthyhomes and a public health staff member will contact you.
Please note the public health department receives several complaints a year regarding various housing conditions such as mold in rental properties. Unfortunately, the La Plata County Public Health Department has no jurisdiction for enforcement of regulation in residential homes or apartments. You may want to seek legal advice for renters in these cases.
Steve Prosise coordinates the Healthy Homes program and is an environmental health specialist at the La Plata County Public Health Department. He can be reached at sprosise@lpcgov.org.
