Policy and Standards Division
The Policy and Standards Division of OLHCHH supports research on improving cost effective methods to identify and control lead-based paint and other housing-related health and safety hazards with a particular emphasis on children's health. The OLHCHH supports research primarily through grants that are competitively awarded through an annual Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) for Healthy Homes Technical Studies and Lead Technical Studies Program. Project evaluations are also conducted by Healthy Homes Demonstration Program grantees, some of which are published. Research is also directed through contracts and is conducted through agreements with other federal agencies.
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National Survey of Lead and Allergens in Housing Vol.1
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National Survey of Lead and Allergens in Housing - Final Report - Vol. 1: Analysis of Lead Hazards Revision 6.0 |
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| Home Asthma Checklist: |
The Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes is pleased to share the Home Characteristics and Asthma Triggers Checklist for Home Visitors (Home Assessment Checklist). The Home Assessment Checklist has been co-branded with our federal partners, CDC and EPA. The checklist is intended for use as a guide for trained home visitors to start a dialogue with the residents to develop a tailored action plan to reduce environmental triggers of asthma.
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Home Asthma Checklist Training Presentation
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This training, developed by CDC, EPA, and HUD, guides home visitors in identifying environmental asthma triggers most commonly found in homes. The accompanying script in the notes, serves to assist the trainer in delivering the slides. This training complements the existing Home Assessment Checklist and includes sections on the building, home interior, and room interior and provides low-cost action steps for remediation. |
| LHHTS Grants Awarded: |
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Research Highlights
The following are highlights of some major research sponsored by the OHHLHC outside of the competitive grant process that is announced in the annual NOFA with links to related reports and publications. Information on research focus areas and results is also available on the Lead Technical Studies and Healthy Homes Technical Studies program pages.
| Investigate the Implications of Lowering the LBP Standard |
In 2011, QuanTech performed this multi-faceted study. It included a review of existing survey data, developing some exposure scenarios, reviewing existing XRF PCS data, reviewing capabilities with existing XRF manufacturers, and discussing policy and economic implications.
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| Lead Clearance Survey |
In 2015, the Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes conducted a survey of 98 Lead-Based Paint Hazard Control and Lead Hazard Reduction Demonstration grantees to determine their practices and capabilities in achieving dust-lead clearance after lead hazard control activities are completed. For final floor clearance results, an estimated 85% of clearance results were at or below 10 µg/ft2, at least 97% of final windowsill clearance results were at or below 100 µg/ft2, and at least 94% of final window trough clearance results were at or below 100 µg/ft2. The findings support the feasibility of reducing the current dust-lead risk assessment and clearance standards to levels considerably below the current standards.
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| Prevalence of Lead Hazards and Soil Arsenic in U.S. Housing |
The American Healthy Homes Survey, June 2005-March 2006, measured levels of lead and arsenic in homes nationwide. 37.1 million homes (35%) had some LBP; 23.2 million (22%) had one or more LBP hazards; 93% of the homes with LBP were built before 1978. The highest prevalence of LBP and LBP hazards was in the Northeast and Midwest. Over three million homes with children under six years of age had LBP hazards, including 1.1 million low-income households. Less than 5% of homes had detectable levels of arsenic in dust (≥5 μg/ft2). Arsenic in soil (for homes with yard soil) averaged 6.6 parts per million (ppm). Many homes had soil arsenic levels of 20 ppm or greater, including 16% of homes with wooden structures in the yard and 8% of homes without such structures. Posted with permission from the Journal of Enviormental Health, a publication of the National Enviormental Health Association, www.NEHA.org.
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Information for Researchers
The OHHLHC strongly encourages researchers who are planning and conducting housing-related health hazards research in communities to consider ethical issues associated with their research and to look for opportunities to involve the community in research planning and implementation. HUD was the major sponsor of a review by the Institute of Medicine of ethical considerations for this area of research, resulting in the publication of a report titled "Ethical Considerations for Research on Housing-Related Health Hazards Involving Children (www.iom.edu/CMS/12552/26004/29871.aspx)".