Housing codes are the backbone of an effective healthy homes program.  The codes set the minimum standards that must be met by all housing - whether existing or new - to protect the health or the residents.  Some communities call them property maintenance codes or sanitation codes but their scope and function is similar.

The nation's model housing code is the International Property Maintenance Code (IPMC) by the International Code Council (ICC).  The IPMC is part of a package of model codes that includes the International Building Code, the International Residential Code, International Plumbing Code and the International Fire Code.  Go to www.iccsafe.org to learn more about the ICC and the model codes.

The IPMC applies to all existing and new buildings, including housing.  NCHH analyzed the 2003 version of the IPMC and prepared a summary of the provisions related to healthy housing.  NCHH found that there is room for improvement in a variety of areas but that the IPMC forms a solid basis for a healthy housing code.  To address shortcomings, ICC provides a reasonable and timely process to make improvements to reflect changing science or policy on a regular three-year cycle. 

One advantage of the IPMC is this process of ongoing improvement.  Communities that adopt the IPMC often simply update their code to incorporate the latest version of the IPMC.  In contrast, most local codes do not have a regular process for improvement and refinement.  These communities often lack the resources to undergo a careful review and political factors lock in the existing code unless serious problems arise. 

On August 20, 2007, the National Center for Healthy Housing and the Alliance for Healthy Homes jointly submitted nine proposals to improve the IPMC and one to improve the International Residential Code. Check out the proposals at www.centerforhealthyhousing.org/html/amendments_to_ipmc.htm.

NCHH encourages communities to follow the lead of several states (including New York and Virginia) and more than 600 communities and use the IPMC as the starting point for a local code.  Go to www.iccsafe.org/government/adoption.html to see if your community has signed on.  Please note that the list is not complete.  NCHH has found several communities that have adopted the IPMC but are not on the list.

NCHH has found three references that are helpful to find local ordinances.  Go to www.municode.com, www.generalcode.com/webcode2.html or municipalcodes.lexisnexis.com/.  www.municode.com offers the unique feature of searching across all of the codes in a single state.  They are planning to expand the service to multi-state searches soon.  You may need to check both of these services since municipalities choose one or the other.  Please let Tom Neltner know if you need help or find additional resources.

As NCHH prepares its training partners to teach the Essentials for Healthy Homes Practitioner course in a community, it develops a brief summary of the healthy homes provisions in the community.  NCHH provides students with this summary.  The instructors integrate the summary into the discussion. 

For your reference, NCHH is posting the summaries it has prepared in the table below.  Please note that the summaries may be incomplete and out-of-date.  If you have questions, corrections, or clarifications, contact Tom Neltner at tneltner@nchh.org or 443.539.4160.