Abstract
The deleterious effects of urban affordable housing are well known. Residents who move into green housing exhibit less asthma, allergies, and health care utilization as well as increased physical activity and healthy eating. This study aims to show that substantially renovated multi-family housing improves respiratory health, mental health, and social cohesion through better ventilation, improved indoor air quality and enriched quality of life. This study identifies affordable housing that underwent complete rehabilitation with passive ventilation standards within the last five years, and control units with no rehab. Recruitment was done door-to-door by trained research assistants who administered health and mental health questionnaires, performed visual environmental inspections in units and installed air quality monitoring equipment. The project collected baseline measurements and four and eight months later to capture seasonal trends. Recruitment efforts were difficult due to identification of appropriately renovated housing and mistrust and poor tenant/management relationships. 33 participants were recruited from study developments and 42 from controls. All control units had detectable formaldehyde, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide; some above recommended limits. General and mental health at baseline in the study population was better than the control. This study suggests that systemic and environmental barriers perpetuate and create housing inequities among families in affordable housing throughout New York City. Results revealed that control units, lacking ventilation standards, had worse indoor air quality. These toxins have deleterious effects on both physiological and psychological health of the inhabitants and impact quality of life.
Presenters
Christopher BlandElizabeth Garland
Professor, Division Director, Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, United States Erin Thanik
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Equity, Disparity, Environmental Justice, Air Quality, Mental Health, Human Health
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