National Healthy Homes Training Center and Network

Making sure a home is a “healthy home” is gaining appeal and interest with the American public, especially for families with young children. A surge in childhood asthma rates linked to home conditions and recent moisture and mold problems have captured the public’s attention and resulted in substantial media coverage. Studies reveal that unhealthy homes are attributable to other childhood diseases, including lead poisoning and cancer. Together, environmental diseases cost our nation nearly $55 million annually.

The healthy homes movement responds to the practical recognition and growing scientific evidence that conditions in our homes affect health. Through innovative awareness campaigns, families will learn to protect themselves. Through comprehensive training, those in the housing and healthcare industries will learn how to change their practices to promote healthier housing. For example, by installing bathroom exhaust fans and ensuring all windows have flashing to stop water intrusion, we can dramatically reduce moisture and mold problems that can lead to asthma attacks. To communicate this type of information to the American public as well as housing and health professionals, the National Center for Healthy Housing (NCHH) needs the help of corporate partners.

In 2003, NCHH launched the National Healthy Homes Training Center and Network with significant seed funding from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. NCHH serves as the central partner of the training center and its network, which reaches across the country from Baltimore to Seattle. The primary objective of this initiative is to increase the knowledge and skills of housing, health, and environmental professionals. However, we also recognize the importance of raising awareness among the general public to support the changes we will be asking these professionals to make in their daily jobs.

Guidelines for Giving

Accomplishments in 2005

In 2005, NCHH and its partners:

Trained 300 government and private sector health and housing professionals in healthy homes principles and practices.
Established the Healthy Homes Clearinghouse with 100 articles and publications already posted online at http://www.healthyhousing.org/clearinghouse/index.cfm.
Developed the video “Healthy Homes, Healthy Families” introducing the healthy homes concept and the Training Center. Copies of the video are being distributed and it is posted online at http://www.healthyhomestraining.org/video.htm.

Plans for 2006

In 2006, NCHH and its partners will:

Train a minimum of 300 health and housing professionals in healthy homes principles and practices.
Expand the Healthy Homes Clearinghouse to include a wide variety of materials and information for many audiences. The site will enable users to test their knowledge of healthy homes issues and access the training manual in an interactive fashion.
Complete an online training course for public health nurses.

A Powerful Workforce for Healthy Housing

The training center operates through a network of regional academic partners including: Boston University Medical Center and School of Public Health, East Central University (OK), Johns Hopkins University, University of Cincinnati, and University of Washington. Continuing Education Units (CEUs) are available for health professionals.

An Informed Public for Healthy Housing

NCHH plans to launch public awareness campaigns in partnership with corporate sponsors. We will work with individual sponsors to prepare campaigns that complement a sponsor’s business and interests. For example, a medical insurance company may want to sponsor a special training session for health professionals or radio spots/programs in specific markets about healthy housing issues. A real estate company may want to train all of its associated agents and include healthy housing materials in its marketing packets.

Corporate Partnership

Partnership offers corporations an opportunity to be associated with the foremost national healthy housing training center and to reach key audiences in the health and housing arenas. A range of partnership opportunities is available. A minimum $10,000 annual contribution is required to participate at the Silver Partner level. Silver partners are identified in all training materials. Partners contributing at the Gold and Platinum level are recognized in other ways, including prominence on the training center’s web site, recognition on a nationally marketed training video, and other tailored activities. For more information see the Healthy Homes Training Center Partnership Program Guidelines.

About the National Center for Healthy Housing

NCHH was founded in 1992 to bring the housing and environmental public health communities together to combat childhood lead poisoning. In 1999, NCHH expanded its mission to address other environmental health and safety hazards found in and around the home. NCHH’s mission is to develop and promote practical methods for protecting children from environmental health hazards in their homes while preserving affordable housing.

For more information, contact: Susan Aceti, Project Coordinator, National Center for Healthy Housing, saceti@centerforhealthyhousing.org or 443-539-4153.