Transitioning from lead to healthy homes programming: North Carolina's perspective

In North Carolina, at least one of five homes is classified as substandard and/or unaffordable. Substandard housing conditions have been linked to some of the most widespread and debilitating childhood environmental health ailments in the US: lead poisoning and asthma. A conservative estimate of total costs due to substandard housing-attributable to childhood illnesses, injuries, diseases, and disabilities- among North Carolina children is nearly $95 million. Since 1995, the NC Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program (NC CLPPP) has contributed to a dramatic reduction (76%) in the number of children with elevated blood lead levels in the state through primary prevention strategies targeting low-income populations. The NC CLPPP, in concert with the US EPA, CDC and HUD, is building capacity to respond to other home health issues. These efforts are aimed at improving the quality of housing for at-risk North Carolinians and alleviate the cycle of childhood morbidity and mortality associated with poor environmental public health practices.

This presentation will describe the statewide healthy homes strategies utilized in both rural and urban communities, education and training for health professionals and the public, home assessments for families in low income and minority communities, and the effectiveness of resources provided for families who seek to implement low- or no-cost measures to eliminate environmental health hazards in their homes. Results will be summarized in a format this is valuable for environmental health programs at the local and state levels transitioning from lead and asthma services to provide healthy homes programming with limited healthy homes funding.