Environmental Health Watch Launches Affordable Green Housing Center
The Affordable Green Housing Center was launched in April as a major new program of Environmental Health Watch to promote healthy, affordable green housing. Our emphasis is on renovation and maintenance of existing housing, and we also address new construction and deconstruction. The new Center will provide educational resources and technical assistance, foster partnerships and demonstration projects, and advocate for public policies.
The Affordable Green Housing Center was established to help address the multiple environmental, health and economic problems related to housing in Northeast Ohio, particularly for low and middle-income families and communities for the following reasons:
- Homes can be a significant source of health hazards associated with lead poisoning, asthma, and other illnesses.
- The cost of housing and utilities continues to rise, straining the household budgets of a growing proportion of families. Utility costs—gas, electric, water, sewer—have a disproportionate impact on lower income residents
- Residential energy use is an important contributor to regional air pollution and global greenhouse gas emissions. Housing contributes 21 percent of U.S. CO2 emissions.
Our approach to green housing is holistic, promoting healthy indoor environments, increased housing affordability, positive environmental impacts, and sustainable
communities.
Healthy indoor environments
Young children and the elderly are especially at risk for housing-related illnesses. Healthy indoor environments give children an equitable better start in life by reducing exposure to hazards:
- Lead hazards - Homes built before 1950 are a principal source of lead poisoning from peeling paint, dust and soil. Forty percent of children in the city of Cleveland and 20 percent of children in the inner suburbs have unacceptable lead blood levels. High lead blood levels result in brain damage, decreased IQ, poor school performance, and increased delinquency and criminal activity.
- Asthma triggers - Some of the strongest asthma triggers are found in the home—dust mites, cockroaches, mold and tobacco smoke. Asthma is the leading serious chronic illness in children and a major cause of school absenteeism. A 2004 study in two Cleveland elementary schools found 22 to 26 percent of children reported they have diagnosed asthma.
- Other contaminants - A healthy, green house is dry and well-ventilated with low levels of moisture inside the house. This reduces the risk of mold, dust mites, paint failure, pests, and out-gassing of toxins. It is free of combustion by-products, pests and pesticides, lead hazards, formaldehyde, and volatile organic compounds from building materials and consumer products.
Increased housing affordability
Green retrofits of existing homes result in lower electrical, natural gas, water, sewer, and home repair bills. Efficiency improvements fall into three categories:
- Do it yourself - achieving up to 20 percent utility savings through simple, low cost measures that are possible even on a modest budget, such as weather-stripping and caulking, installing compact fluorescent bulbs, using ceiling fans instead of central air conditioning, and washing clothes in cold water.
- Home performance improvements - achieving 20-50 percent utility savings by hiring a professional to conduct an energy audit, air sealing, installing new insulation and replacing inefficient heating and hot water systems.
- Deep energy retrofits - achieving 50-100 percent utility savings through measures such as adding on to existing walls to make room for additional insulation, and installing renewable energy systems.
Positive environmental impacts
Positive impacts from green housing include reduced local air pollution, cleaner water, waste reduction, natural resource preservation, and decreased greenhouse gas emissions. For example:
- Durable buildings that last a long time conserve resources and make the most of the energy that was used during construction.
- Chemical-free lawns protect children, pets and wildlife. Lawn pesticides are responsible for widespread poisoning of birds, and most commonly applied lawn chemicals are possible carcinogens.
- Efficient water use and capturing stormwater with rain barrels and rain gardens helps keep combined sewer systems from overflowing during storms.
- Energy efficiency in the home can help stop climate change. The average home is responsible for twice as much CO2 annually as a typical car.
Sustainable Communities
Truly green housing is located in a sustainable neighborhood, close to jobs, where it is convenient to walk, bike and take public transit, and is easy to be part of a community.
- Walkable neighborhoods promote personal health, safety, community engagement, and prosperous local businesses.
- Green retrofits and new construction result in durable, affordable homes, which helps support a stable community with lower rates of foreclosure and demolition. Energy efficiency improvements have been shown to result in increasing both home values and equity for homeowners.
- Green building helps build the local economy and creates local jobs by using locally manufactured and distributed products and services.
For more than 25 years, Environmental Health Watch has played a unique role in Northeast Ohio, helping the public and policy-makers address critical health concerns related to our urban and industrial environment. For more information, contact Mandy Metcalf at (216) 961-4646; mmetcalf@dscdo.org; or visit www.ehw.org.