2/24/2011
New partnership aims to make healthy housing repairs and energy efficiency a reality for families in greatest need
Columbia, MD – Announced today, the National Center for Healthy Housing (NCHH) is joining forces with Habitat for Humanity International, Rebuilding Together, and CLEARCorps to form EnergyPlusHealth. In an effort to make healthy and energy efficient housing more accessible across all income levels, the new coalition will equip volunteers with the tools needed to make the critical health and energy efficient repairs many low income homeowners need, but can’t afford. The pilot program will provide training, tools, and technical materials for the volunteers performing the rehabilitation and repairs work.
Many homes in greatest need of energy upgrades do not receive federal assistance, due to the serious health and safety risks which must be addressed prior to energy upgrades. These hazards include: structural issues, lead paint hazards, and mold and moisture issues. EnergyPlusHealth will work to construct a volunteer-based home repair program model to meet this void in supporting low-income homeowners’ healthy housing improvement projects.
“Our national partners are often the last resort of families who have substantial hazards in their home. These families’ homes, if made more energy-efficient, could further save families and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, said Rebecca Morley, NCHH Executive Director. “With EnergyPlusHealth’s expertise and networks, we will set the stage for low income homeowners to receive the assistance they need by integrating energy efficiency and healthy homes principles into volunteer-based home repair programs.”
NCHH is leading the effort by developing a 2-day training course which includes an assessment checklist for volunteers to use when evaluating homes for health hazards or energy deficiencies. The training will provide instructional worksheets with step-by-step instructions for repair, maintenance, or rehabilitation work that can be done onsite by volunteers and identify which tasks require skilled professionals.
NCHH and EnergyPlusHealth have identified the following seven pilot partners:
• Rebuilding Together Philadelphia, PA
• Rebuilding Together Roanoke, VA
• Habitat for Humanity in the Roanoke Valley, VA
• Rebuilding Together Montgomery County, MD
• Omaha Healthy Kids Alliance, NE (CLEARCorps)
• Rebuilding Together Omaha, NE
• Habitat for Humanity of Council Bluffs, IA
To learn more about the National Center for Healthy Housing, please visit, www.NCHH.org.
The National Center for Healthy Housing (NCHH) is the only national scientific and technical non-profit organization dedicated to creating healthy and safe homes for America’s children through practical and proven steps. NCHH develops scientifically valid and practical strategies to make homes safe from hazards, to alert low- income families about housing-related health risks, and to help them protect their children.
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