Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2011 May-Jun;126 Suppl 1(Suppl 1):64-75.
doi: 10.1177/00333549111260S110.

Health outcomes and green renovation of affordable housing

Jill Breysse  1 , David E Jacobs, William Weber, Sherry Dixon, Carol Kawecki, Susan Aceti, Jorge Lopez
Affiliations

Health outcomes and green renovation of affordable housing

Jill Breysse et al. Public Health Rep. 2011 May-Jun.

Abstract

Objective: This study sought to determine whether renovating low-income housing using "green" and healthy principles improved resident health and building performance.

Methods: We investigated resident health and building performance outcomes at baseline and one year after the rehabilitation of low-income housing using Enterprise Green Communities green specifications, which improve ventilation; reduce moisture, mold, pests, and radon; and use sustainable building products and other healthy housing features. We assessed participant health via questionnaire, provided Healthy Homes training to all participants, and measured ventilation, carbon dioxide, and radon.

Results: Adults reported statistically significant improvements in overall health, asthma, and non-asthma respiratory problems. Adults also reported that their children's overall health improved, with significant improvements in non-asthma respiratory problems. Post-renovation building performance testing indicated that the building envelope was tightened and local exhaust fans performed well. New mechanical ventilation was installed (compared with no ventilation previously), with fresh air being supplied at 70% of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers standard. Radon was < 2 picocuries per liter of air following mitigation, and the annual average indoor carbon dioxide level was 982 parts per million. Energy use was reduced by 45% over the one-year post-renovation period.

Conclusions: We found significant health improvements following low-income housing renovation that complied with green standards. All green building standards should include health requirements. Collaboration of housing, public health, and environmental health professionals through integrated design holds promise for improved health, quality of life, building operation, and energy conservation.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Health-related green housing rehabilitation features: Green Housing Renovation Study, Minnesota, 2006–2008
Figure 2
Figure 2
Change in reports of specific adult (n=49) and child (n=27) health issues, pre-renovation (T0) vs. immediate post-renovation (T1): Green Housing Renovation Study, Minnesota, 2006–2008
Figure 3
Figure 3
Change in reports of specific adult (n=22) and child (n=13) health issues, pre-renovation (T0) vs. one year post-renovation (T2): Green Housing Renovation Study, Minnesota, 2006–2008
Figure 4
Figure 4
Changes in reports of general housing condition (better vs. worse), pre-renovation (T0) vs. immediate post-renovation (T1): Green Housing Renovation Study, Minnesota, 2006–2008
Figure 5
Figure 5
Changes in reports of specific housing conditions, pre-renovation (T0) to immediate post-renovation (T1): Green Housing Renovation Study, Minnesota, 2006–2008
Figure 6
Figure 6
Changes in specific housing conditions, pre-renovation (T0) to one year post-renovation (T2): Green Housing Renovation Study, Minnesota, 2006–2008
Figure 7
Figure 7
One-year post-intervention total building energy consumption—electricity and natural gas combined: Green Housing Renovation Study, Minnesota, 2006–2008
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Jacobs DE. Environmental health disparities in housing. Am J Public Health. 2011 In press. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Krieger J, Higgins DL. Housing and health: time again for public health action. Am J Public Health. 2002;92:758–68. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Blood lead levels—United States, 1999–2002. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2005;54(20):513–6. - PubMed
    1. Mannino DM, Homa DM, Akinbami LJ, Moorman JE, Gwynn C, Redd SC. Surveillance for asthma—United States, 1980–1999. MMWR Surveill Summ. 2002;51(1):1–13. - PubMed
    1. World Health Organization. Report of the WHO technical workshop on quantifying disease from inadequate housing, Bonn, Germany, 28–30 November 2005. Geneva: WHO; 2006.

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources