National Healthy Housing Standard

1. National Healthy Housing Standard Jane Malone, Policy Director National Center for Healthy Housing

2. Problem: Non-protective, Fragmented Housing Policies • Privately Owned Housing • International Property Maintenance Code (IPMC) • State laws (e.g. health code) and local ordinances • No housing or sanitary code in play • Federally-Owned/Assisted Housing • Housing Quality (HQS) and Uniform Property Condition Standards • Minimum Property Requirements

3. National Healthy Housing Standard: Intent • PUBLICHEALTH PROTECTION • HOUSING AFFORDABILITY

4. Foundational Document - 1986 • APHA-CDC product • Health-protective • Defined codes • Public health audience

5. Key Contributors • American Public Health Association • National Center for Healthy Housing • National Committee on Housing & Health • Technical Review Work Group

6. Timeline

7. Dr. Lynn Goldman Moises Loza Nic Retsinas Dr. Megan Sandel Steve Thomas Dr. Tom Vernon (Chair) National Committee on Housing and Health • Meri-K Appy • Dr. Georges Benjamin • Gail Christopher • Henry Cisneros • Dr. Carlos Dora • Dr. Ruth Etzel • David Fukuzawa

8. Technical Review Work Group Terry Brennan, MS, Camroden AssociatesPatrick Breysse, PhD, Center for Global Health, Johns Hopkins UniversityDavid Ormandy, PhD, Institute of Health, University of Warwick (UK) Claudette Reichel, MS, Louisiana State University William Rose, M. Arch, University of Illinois Urbana-ChampaignMegan Sandel, MD, MPH, Boston University Medical CenterRichard Shaughnessy, PhD, Indoor Air Quality, University of TulsaCharles Treser, MPH, School of Public Health, University of Washington Suzanne Condon, MSM, Massachusetts Department of Public HealthAlan Johanns, MS, Environmental Services Department, City of San Diego James Krieger, MD, MPH, Public Health, Seattle and King County (Chair of the Work Group)

9. Technical Review Work Group • Paul Haan, BA, Healthy Homes Coalition of West MichiganKevin Kennedy, MPH, Center for Environmental Health, Children’s Mercy Hospitals and ClinicsBeth McKee Huger, MSW, Greensboro Housing Coalition • Peter Ashley, PhD, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban DevelopmentMary Jean Brown, ScD, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and PreventionGreg Brunner, MS, U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyKarin Mack, PhD, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

10. Standard Architecture Duties Of Owners and Occupants Structure, Facilities, Plumbing, and Space Requirements Safety and Personal Security Lighting and Electrical Systems Heating, Ventilation, and Energy Efficiency Moisture Control, Solid Waste, and Pest Management Chemical and Radiological Agents

11. The Standard’s Value Add Not a construction or rehab standard…

12. Comparison with Existing Standards

13. Moisture • Building, components watertight, weathertight, free of persistent dampness or moisture • Drainage system, grading direct water away from the structure. • Exterior wood surfaces protected from the elements, decay • No visible mold, chronic or persistent dampness or moisture. • Building material discolored/deteriorated by mold/mildew, moldy or earthy odor: cleaned, dried, and repaired. • Structurally unsound material removed and replaced. • Investigate, correct underlying cause of dampness, moisture. • Open crawl space free of high-moisture conditions or separated from dwelling by an air seal

14. Moisture (continued) Stretch Provisions • Water/mold-resistant materials on wet area walls, floors • Exterior walls in warm-humid and mixed-humid climates: • No vapor barrier/retarder insulation (such as plastic sheeting or foil facing) on the interior side except closed-cell foam or kraft insulation • No vinyl / impermeable wallpaper on interior wall surface • Moisture management • Air conditioning delivers ventilation air dried to lower dew point • Condensation from HVAC components, ductwork is drained

15. Integrated Pest Management • Prevent pest harborage to prevent infestation • No conditions that attract/support pests • Water, trash, paper, boxes, food, other stored materials • Window screens • No holes or open joints in exterior walls, foundations, floors, roofs; openings sealed with low-VOC caulk or insulation • No foggers or organic phosphates • Multifamily housing: IPM-trained/certified personnel

16. Ventilation • Comply with ASHRAE Standard 62.2 or ASHRAE 62.1 • Air exhausted from a bathroom, kitchen, clothes dryer, basement vented outside • But not to the building’s air intake or another property. • No basement air to enter an air handling system. Stretch Provision • HVAC equipment capacity to maintain indoor relative humidity at or below 60%

17. Smoke in Multifamily Housing • Smoking prohibited • In indoor common areas of multifamily buildings • In exterior areas less than 25 feet from entryway • Inform tenants, prospective tenants in writing • Smoke-free policies • Designated smoke-free and smoking locations • Tenants who terminate a lease early due to incursion of tobacco smoke or inception of smoke-free policies shall be exempt from early termination penalties.

18. Smoke (continued) Stretch Provisions • Establish property-wide policy in consultation with current tenants to designate exterior common areas as smoke-free, smoking permitted. • Establish property-wide policy in consultation with current tenants to designate dwelling units where tobacco smoking shall be prohibited.

19. Communicate to Target Organizations • Present at key conferences • Brief Training Center partners, Coalition members • Conduct media outreach – popular press, trades • Develop “hard news” story

20. Promoting Adoption • Secure commitments – Federal, private sector • Engage national housing intermediaries in dissemination to local partners • Provide technical assistance

21. Corporate Advisory Council Andersen Corporation Bayer Material Science Edison Electric Institutes Executive Cabinetry Hanley Wood Media Panasonic Eco Solutions United Technologies

22. Partners Considering How to Integrate the Standard American Society of Home Inspectors Enterprise Community Partners National Low Income Housing Coalition Neighborworks America Omaha Department of Planning Rebuilding Together Seattle – King County Public Health

23. HUD Secretary Shaun DonovanComments - May 16th Release of the Standard • “strategic balance between feasibility and stringency” • “clear framework for additional protection for residents” • “language that people can understand … more likely that it will be accepted and become the standard everywhere” • “critically important tool to get us closer to the goal of having safe and affordable housing for every American” • “HUD is going to look at it in every place it can with respect to our own operations.”

24. Interface with ICC’s IPMC(International Property Maintenance Code) Action Plan: • Develop supplement to the IPMC based on the Standard for states and localities that use the IPMC • Integrate the Standard into ICC system • Promote local adoptions of the IPMC and the Standard supplement

25. Outcomes = Adoptions • Change IPMC, local, state codes • Fortify HUD policy • Expand inspection protocols • Improve asset management • Enhance rental property condition • Raise public awareness and political will

26. Questions for Discussion • Are you satisfied with your local code? • Have you tried making changes? • Could the Standard make a difference? • How can we help?

27. www.nchh.org/Standard.aspx Jane Malone jmalone@nchh.org