National Healthy Homes Training Center
and Network

The National Center for Healthy Housing operates the National Healthy Housing Training Center and Network through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and support from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The National Healthy Homes Training Center provides training through a network of partners in several regions of the country. The target audiences for the training are environmental public health mangers and practitioners, housing professionals, emergency services personnel, community outreach workers, tribal environmental health officials, and leaders of community-based organizations.

The overall goals of the training are to: Provide training for public health and housing practitioners in the assessment and treatment of housing related health hazards, with a focus on practical and cost-effective methods; promote cross training of public health and housing practitioners; create a forum for the exchange of practical guidance about healthy housing strategies among federal, state, tribal and local agency staff; develop a mechanism for the ongoing introduction of new research findings into public health training and practice; and identify and optimize opportunities for networking, collaboration and partnerships.

In 2005, NCHH and its training partners trained nearly 200 individuals, developed a healthy homes awareness video, launched a Healthy Homes Clearinghouse for online information about healthy homes, developed a healthy homes course for housing rehabilitation specialists, and launched a corporate partnership program to support the Training Center. In 2006, NCHH anticipates doubling the number of individuals trained, launching a tribal initiative to extend the training to tribal governments in the Southwest, expanding the Healthy Homes Clearinghouse, developing an on-line training, and developing and piloting a healthy homes course for contractors and tradespeople.

The overall goals of the training are to:

• Provide training for public health and housing practitioners in the assessment and treatment of housing related health hazards, with a focus on practical and cost-effective methods.
• Promote cross training of public health and housing practitioners. 
• Create a forum for the exchange of practical guidance about healthy housing strategies among federal, state, tribal and local agency staff.
• Develop a mechanism for the ongoing introduction of new research findings into public health training and practice.
• Identify and optimize opportunities for networking, collaboration and partnerships.

NCHH is also developing a web-based training to expand training deliveries, developing a web-based "healthy homes clearinghouse" to create a one-stop shopping center for information on healthy housing, and creating a course in healthy housing for contractors and trades people. Other audiences for the training could include apprentices/trades people, childcare workers, community-based nurses, community organizers, community outreach workers, fire department and law enforcement professionals, public housing authorities staff, property managers & maintenance staff, Realtors, insurance lenders, retail housing supply stores, social workers, unions, trade schools, and utility companies, and weatherization agencies.

The Partners

To see a list of partners, please click here.

NCHH is also seeking to establish partnerships with other groups, especially professional trade organizations, community development corporations, public housing authorities, and other housing and health professionals. For more information, email Susan Aceti at saceti@centerforhealthyhousing.org.

The May, 2005 issue of The Nation's Health, which is the nation's most widely read public health newspaper, features an editorial by APHA President, Dr. Walter Tsou, on healthy housing. The article details the work of the National Healthy Homes Training Center and Network, and the value of a holistic approach to housing and health. Click here to read the article.