Oral

The objective of the session would be to present and discuss a variety of tools, policy levers and model programs to reduce pest infestation and pesticide exposure in urban multi-family housing. There are multiple health effects from exposure to pesticides, particularly for pregnant women and young children. And both pesticides and exposure to pest allergens is shown to worsen asthma. A focus of the session would be on integrated pest management (IPM), a more effective and safer method of pest control, that avoids the use of broadcast spraying of pesticides. Presentations will highlight different tools for promoting IPM including 1) policy and regulatory approaches, at the local, state and federal level, to promoting the use of IPM; 2) a toolkit developed specifically for managers of subsidized housing that shows how to make the transition from traditional pest management to IPM and how to educate and engage residents to make them IPM partners; and 3) a website system for requesting housing code enforcement for asthma triggers (pest infestation and mold) can improve that quality of housing for asthmatics.

Session Objectives: • Articulate the benefits of Integrated Pest Management practices in multi-unit housing compared with more traditional pesticide approaches. • Describe the health effects associated with pests in residential multi-unit families and the health consequences of heavy pesticide, and illegal pesticide, applications. • Describe a successful network model to provide comprehensive health and social services • Learn about the strengths and challenges associated with sustaining a community-wide network of care • Identify tools to facilitate inter-network communication in a large and complex urban network