Healthy Communities Start at Home

A warm, dry home is the foundation of health and well-being. When Habitat families move into a community, they create a healthy environment where their children can play outdoors in safety—many for the first time.

In search of an affordable place to live, many low-income families in Oregon move into dilapidated trailers or older homes with little insulation. When winter comes, they are faced with exorbitant heating costs, leaving little money for necessities like fresh food. Families who live in doubled-up situations to make ends meet have increased exposure to infectious diseases and trouble getting a good night’s sleep.

Too often, low-cost housing is of substandard quality, providing unsafe and unhealthy living conditions for families. Additional health risks include lead paint in older buildings, pests in poorly sealed and maintained structures, and the damp, moldy conditions so prevalent in the Portland metro area. Structural problems like faulty wiring, poorly functioning windows and lack of appropriate heating devices also create serious safety hazards.

These conditions create a cascade of negative health outcomes. For example, poor air quality exacerbates asthma. Asthma is the number one reason for school absence, and school absence affects performance. Moreover, overcrowding at home has been shown to create psychological stress in children.³

In contrast, Habitat homes are clean, dry and warm. Homes are built to Earth Advantage standards, meaning they include a wide range of healthy and sustainable features. Examples include energy saving windows and laminate flooring, which is preferable over carpet to reduce allergens. Habitat homes are also kinder to the health of our environment. Pervious pavement reduces storm water run-off, native plants attract local species of birds, and the energy-efficient features of Habitat homes mean that each home has a smaller carbon footprint long-term.

1. Oregon Hunger Relief Task Force.
2. On the Front Lines: An Environmental Asthma Intervention in New York City, 2002. American Journal of Public Health 92(1): 24–26
3. The Positive Impacts of Affordable Housing on Health: A Research Summary, 2007. Enterprise Partners and The Center for Housing Policy.