Healthy Homes

Healthy homes promote their inhabitants' mental and physical health, safety, and quality of life. According to one widely-used definition originally developed by the Asthma Regional Council (ARC), a healthy home is "dry, clean, pest-free, safe, contaminant-free, ventilated, and maintained." This definition is the basis of the Seven Principles of Healthy Homes promoted nationally.

A significant number of public health issues can be affected by addressing the quality of our indoor environments, especially our homes. The connections between health and housing have been well established (for more see Health and Housing). The new movement toward promoting healthy homes recognizes this and works to address multiple hazards in the home with an integrated approach, rather than with the single hazard approach traditionally taken.

ARC is committed to improving public health by promoting an integrated and broad-based healthy homes agenda across New England.

ARC's Healthy Homes Promotion Project (H2P2)

The broad goal of H2P2 is to promote health and safety of New England residents by increasing: a) availability of green, healthier, affordable housing; and b) eliminating exposures to home-based environmental toxins through the promotion of evidence-based policy and practice, and improved program coordination. There is particular emphasis on low-income populations and communities with disproportionate health risks.

H2P2 helps to inform and support regional, statewide, and local efforts to advance a comprehensive, yet targeted, Healthy Homes agenda. H2P2 project components include providing: a) educational programs; b) technical assistance for healthy homes implementation and policy development; c) strategic planning services for governmental and community programs that wish to integrate siloed programs related to healthy homes; d) community empowerment and mobilization; and e) promoting health payer financing of environmental interventions in the home. The purpose of this comprehensive approach is to enhance the region's readiness and capability to implement a comprehensive health and green housing effort.  See our initial assessment, Healthy Homes Needs and Resource Assessment Report -- New England.