Improving Local and State Housing Codes through the National Healthy Housing Standard

Housing condition is a social determinant of health. Too many housing/sanitary codes, including the international model codes, do not reflect current knowledge about how the physical home environment causes or exacerbates disease. The protection of children from lead-based paint hazards, and protection of all occupants from uncontrolled asthma triggers, carbon monoxide, radon, and other threats, requires that codes include proven health protections such as lead-safe practices, ventilation, moisture management, safe pest control, and radon mitigation. Changing codes can be a political proposition, pitting tenant advocates against rental housing managers. An objective evidence-based document that aligns housing practices with public health has been needed to expedite housing code modernization.

The National Healthy Housing Standard (NHHS) has been developed to factor modern public health, safety, and energy considerations into housing maintenance as well as inspection and code enforcement. The NHHS can be used by federal, state, and local government agencies to ensure rental housing is maintained in a condition that protects health and safety, and as a standard of care for any property owner. Built on the foundation of the 1986 publication, "Housing and Health: APHA-CDC Recommended Minimum Housing Standards," the NHHS was developed by the National Center for Healthy Housing (NCHH) in partnership with APHA and with the support of numerous experts on two advisory bodies that included persons representing the housing sector, federal, state and local government, practitioners, researchers, and community-based organizations. 

During 2014 and beyond, NCHH is promoting adoption of the Standard and providing technical assistance to community-based organizations and agencies interested in using it. NCHH is working with housing intermediaries, HUD, and financial institutions to integrate the Standard into their asset management and housing inspection systems, and, with the International Code Council, crafting an overlay document for communities that use the International Property Maintenance Code.  

The presentation will focus on the development of the Standard (briefly), how the Standard compares to other policies, and strategies for securing its adoption and implementation.