Connect with HUD

HUD's Healthy Homes Newsletter

HUD Healthy Homes sent this bulletin at 04/13/2016 03:05 PM EDT

Healthy Homes Insider

The quarterly eNewsletter of HUD's
Office of Lead Hazard Control
and Healthy Homes

Banner

Protect Your Kids from Lead Poisoning

caution A child’s health can be complex. While some illnesses are more obvious and unavoidable, like the common cold, others have more dangerous effects that can lurk beneath the surface and can have far greater an impact than any cough or runny nose.

Lead poisoning is one of the most significant health concerns for children today.

A child's environment can be full of lead. Children can be exposed to lead from different sources (such as paint, gasoline, solder, and consumer products) and through different pathways (such as air, food, water, dust and soil.) Although there are several exposure sources, lead-based paint is the most widespread and dangerous high-dose source of lead exposure for young children.

Breathe Easy: Keep Asthma at Bay with These Simple Tips

An asthma attack can be a terrifying event. Knowing and managing effects can have a huge impact on the quality of life for the over 7 million children and nearly 19 million adults who suffer from the lung disease. By keeping a healthy home, you can create a safe space that will allow you, or others who suffer from asthma, to breathe freely. Learn more by clicking on the HUD Asthma Factsheet below.

The federal government has been working collaboratively to reduce asthma disparities throughout the nation through the Asthma Disparities Working Group. This Group developed an action plan to reduce racial and ethnic asthma disparities by coordinating federal programs and leveraging lessons learned from past and existing federal asthma programs.

Help the Earth, Weatherize Your Home

Over time, your home can take a beating. Every season, on a year-round basis, it is exposed to all sorts of undesirable weather. Make sure that you protect your home so that it can continue to protect you. Weatherizing your home protects it from the elements, including everything from sunshine and rain, to wind gusts and snow storms. Weatherization can also include modifying your home to reduce energy consumption, which in the long-run makes it more energy efficient. In short - weatherizing your home can not only keep you safe and sound, it can actually save you money while being a little easier on the environment.

Our friends at the Department of Energy have resources with helpful information on do-it-yourself audits and on professional audits. Click on the buttons below to view these resources.

OLHCHH Grant Program Spotlight: Asthma interventions address significant health disparities in low-income, minority communities

Recent projects funded by Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes (OLHCHH) asthma intervention grants provided in-home asthma interventions for children living in public housing. The application of multifaceted residential asthma interventions has proven to be an effective model for children with poorly controlled asthma, and is supported by the evaluations published by these grantees.

Quarterly Tip: It's Time for Spring Cleaning

Spring is here! The fresh air, the cool breeze, and…the cleaning. The one advantage to all that spring cleaning is that a clean home is often a healthy home. Join our spring cleaning efforts by following these simple steps:

• Reduce clutter in your home. Clutter makes your home look smaller and feel disorganized. Consider holding a yard sale or making a charity donation to get rid of your extra stuff.

• Focus on dusting. Make sure you dust all surfaces, including shelves and ceiling fan blades.

• Clean out the refrigerator. Remove and clean all drawers and shelves. Make sure to pay attention to expiration dates and throw out food that is out of date.

National Healthy Homes Conference

NEHA 2016 AES and HUD Healthy Homes Conference | San Antonio, TX | June 13-16 2016

The National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) 2016 Annual Education Conference (AEC) and National Healthy Homes Conference will be held jointly in San Antonio, Texas, from June 13-16, 2016. Building on the success of the 2014 National Healthy Homes Conference in Nashville, the joint conference will be the most comprehensive annual gathering of public, nonprofit, and private entities working in environmental health, housing and other professions dedicated to improving the health and safety of homes and communities. If you are an environmental health or housing professional looking to network and get an even greater understanding of the breakthroughs and challenges in healthy housing, this is the conference for you!

National Healthy Homes Month, June 2016

Your home is more than just a place to live. It’s a sanctuary, a place to share, grow, learn, laugh and make memories. HUD is dedicated to providing you with information to help you ensure that your home is safe and healthy for you and for your loved ones. That’s why we’ve established June 2016 as the first annual National Health Homes Month (NHHM). Throughout NHHM, HUD, in coordination with other organizations and agencies, will promote awareness and advocacy, encourage community events and provide resources and support that will encourage families to take action toward building healthy and safe homes. The HUD Principles of a Healthy Home will be a corner stone of this initiative.

If you are a community, academic institution, non-profit, or for-profit organization and are interested in being involved, you can start by reading our "Stakeholder Tool Kit." To download the toolkit, click on the button below.

Upcoming Events

2016 Notice of Funding Availability (NOFAs) for Lead-Based Paint Hazard Control and Demonstration grants have been published to www.grants.gov

May 10: Healthy Homes Research Seminar: Integrated Pest Management

May 17: Southeast Regional Asthma Summit

June 1-30: First Annual National Healthy Homes Month

June 7: Healthy Homes Research Seminar: Weatherization and Green Rehabilitation

June 13-16: NEHA Annual Education Conference (AEC) and National Healthy Homes Conference

Questions?
Contact Us

STAY CONNECTED: