For Immediate Release
Contact: Phillip Dodge, 443-539-4168
pdodge@nchh.org

Report Finds that Creating Green and Healthy Housing in Boston Can Save Lives and Money

December 20, 2007 (Columbia, MD) –Today the National Center for Healthy Housing (NCHH) released "Boston One Touch: Action Steps for Healthier and Greener Homes for Boston Families." The report highlights the preliminary results of a project designed to create green and healthy affordable housing in Boston.

Since 2005, NCHH has worked with partners in Boston to improve the health of families through greener, healthier affordable housing and a more integrated delivery system via the Boston One Touch Project. NCHH reviewed existing key health and housing programs serving low-income children in Boston to identify where the most promising opportunities exist to improve children's health - to make every "touch" count.

Early findings from the project include:

• Healthy and green measures can be cost-effectively integrated into City housing programs. NCHH joined the Department of Neighborhood Development in a pilot project in Roxbury, which demonstrated that green features can be incorporated into housing rehabilitation programs with minimum up-charge.
• Some healthy and green upgrades can SAVE property owners money. NCHH analyzed the maintenance costs of local community development corporations and the Boston Housing Authority to identify opportunities for saving money and improving the health of residents. The analysis found water leaks to be a significant maintenance expense for property owners and a major source of moisture intrusion (which can lead to mold, structural problems, and pest infestation). Fixing leaks and upgrading to durable WaterSense label toilets and fixtures is a mutual win for health and the bottom line of ffordable housing providers.
• Not all green building programs are created equal. NCHH also assessed how well national "green" building programs such as LEED-H and Green Communities perform in terms of resident health to enable its local partners to compare the myriad of green standards in the marketplace.

The report also makes two critical health findings. First, emergency room visits and hospitalizations for asthma continue to be a significant healthcare cost for Bostonians. Second, unintentional injuries result in more emergency room visits than asthma, with housing conditions appearing to be a major factor in fall-related injuries.

"Nationally, unintentional injuries are the top killer of kids in the home, yet are often underappreciated as a public health priority. This study shows that policies and programs to reduce unintentional injuries will save lives and dollars in the City of Boston," said Rebecca Morley, executive director of the National Center for Healthy Housing.

The report concludes that there are three critical action steps to leverage Boston's strengths:

• Target the housing and housing problems that are making children sick.
• Focus on broad adoption of high impact, low-cost housing interventions to maximize health and environmental benefits, such as smoke-free and spray-free policies, improving ventilation, fixing water leaks, and energy and water conservation.
• Make every "touch" count by using existing programs and staff for greater impact through coordination.

With the help of its partners, NCHH will continue to create healthier, greener, affordable housing for Boston families.

Click here for more information and to download a copy of NCHH's report Boston One Touch: Action Steps for Healthier and Greener Homes for Boston Families

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NCHH is the only national scientific and technical non-profit organization dedicated to developing and promoting practical measures to protect children from residential environmental hazards while preserving affordable housing. 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.