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U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
National Center for Environmental Health
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Original
Printing 1976, Reprinted 1988,
Updated and Revised 2006
Suggested citation: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and U.S.
Department of Housing and Urban Development. Healthy housing
reference manual. Atlanta: US Department of Health and Human Services; 2006.
Use of trade names is for identification only and does not imply endorsement by
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U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, or the U.S. Department of Housing
and Urban Development.
Disclaimer:
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
We acknowledge the suggestions, assistance, and review of numerous individuals
and organizations that went into the original and current versions of this
manual. The revisions to this manual were made by a team of environmental
health, housing, and public health professionals led by Professor Joe Beck, Dr.
Darryl Barnett, Dr. Gary Brown, Dr. Carolyn Harvey, Professor Worley Johnson,
Dr. Steve Konkel, and Professor Charles Treser.
Individuals from the following organizations were involved in the various drafts
of this manual:
- Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard Control,
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC), National Center for Environmental Health (NCEH)
- National Healthy Homes Training Center and Network
- National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials
- Department of Building, Housing and Zoning; Allentown, Pennsylvania
- Code Enforcement Associates; East Orange, New Jersey
- Eastern Kentucky University; Richmond, Kentucky
- University of Washington; Seattle, Washington
- Battelle Memorial Institute; Columbus, Ohio
Specifically, our gratitude
goes to the following reviewers:
Dr. David Jacobs, Martin Nee, and Dr.
Peter Ashley, HUD; Pat Bohan, East Central University; James Larue,
The House Mender Inc.; Ellen Tohn, ERT Associates; Dr. Stephen
Margolis, Emory University; and Joseph Ponessa and Rebecca Morley,
Healthy Homes Training Center.
A special thank-you for
assistance from Carolyn Case-Compton, Habitat for Humanity, 123 East
Main Street, Morehead, Kentucky. Pictures of a home under construction
are courtesy of Habitat for Humanity and John King, home builder and
instructor, Rowan County Technical College, Morehead, Kentucky; and
Don W. Johnson, building photographer of Habitat for Humanity.
In addition, a special thank you to the
Environmental Health Services
Branch and the following staff: CAPT Craig Shepherd and CAPT
Michael Herring, Commissioned Corps, U.S. Public Health Service, for
their research and review during the editing of this manual. Special thanks also to Pamela S. Wigington and Teresa M. Sims for
their hard work preparing this manual for Web publication.
Preface
Housing quality is key to the public’s health. Translating
that simple axiom into action is the topic of this book. In the 30
years since the first edition was published, the nation’s
understanding of how specific housing conditions are related to
disease and injury has matured and deepened. This new edition will
enable public health and housing professionals to grasp our shared
responsibility to ensure that our housing stock is safe, decent,
affordable, and healthy for our citizens, especially those who are
particularly vulnerable and who spend more time in the home, such as
children and the elderly.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Department
of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) have worked together with many
others to discover the ways to eliminate substandard housing
conditions that harm health. For example, the advances in combating
water borne diseases was possible, in part, through standardization of
indoor plumbing and sewage, and the institution of federal, state and
local regulations and codes. Childhood lead poisoning has been
dramatically reduced, in part, through the elimination of residential
lead-based paint hazards. Other advances have been made to protect
people from carbon monoxide poisoning, falls, safety hazards,
electrocution, and many other risks.
However, more must be done to control existing conditions and to
understand emerging threats that remain poorly understood. For
example, nearly 18 million Americans live with the health threat of
contaminated drinking water supplies, especially in rural areas where
on-site wastewater systems are prevalent. Despite progress, thousands
of children still face the threat of lead poisoning from residential
lead paint hazards. The increase in asthma in recent decades and its
relationship to housing conditions such as excess moisture, mold,
settled dust allergens and ventilation remains the subject of intense
research. The impact of energy conservation measures on the home
environment is still unfolding. Simple affordable construction
techniques and materials that minimize moisture problems and indoor
air pollution, improve ventilation, and promote durability and
efficiency continue to be uncovered.
A properly constructed and maintained home is nearly timeless in its
usefulness. A home is often the biggest single investment people make.
This manual will help to ensure that the investment is a sound one
that promotes healthy and safe living.
Home rehabilitation has increased significantly in the last few years
and HUD has prepared a nine-part series, The Rehab Guide, that can
assist both residents and contractors in the rehabilitation process.
For additional information, go to
http://www.huduser.org/publications/destech/rehabgui.html.