Colorado Healthy Homes - A Call to Action

On Thursday, March 7th leaders from both the health and housing industries gathered at the Rita Bass Trauma & EMS Education Institute. The location was fitting, as panelists from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and several others, discussed the critical connection between health and housing.

This Colorado Healthy Homes Call to Action was a direct response to the recent national publication of HUD's Advancing Healthy Housing - A Strategy for Action.

The Action plan calls on federal, state, and local partners to explore ways to educate the public on how contaminants in the home can have a direct impact on residents' health. It also calls for more proactive mitigation of toxins such as radon and lead.

HUD Rocky Mountain Regional Administrator,
Rick Garcia delivers remarks at the Colorado event

Among many of the topics covered during Thursday's event, subject matter experts discussed radon testing and mitigation, lead exposure, indoor air quality and its relationship to asthma symptoms, and injury prevention. HUD Rocky Mountain Regional Administrator, Rick M. Garcia said, "Advancing healthy housing is one of our top priorities. For too long, low-income families, especially children and the elderly have suffered disproportionately from substandard housing. Our mission is to change that statistic through education and prevention."

Quality housing and its correlation to preventable illnesses was examined at several levels. HUD Healthy Homes representative Abby Hugill also explained the seven principles of a healthy home. "We define healthy homes as homes which are dry, clean, safe, pest-free, contaminant-free, well ventilated, and well maintained." Learn more about reducing toxins and creating a safer home environment for you and your family at www.healthyhomes.hud.gov

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