National Healthy Homes Month (NHHM), created by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes (OLHCHH), was established to focus national attention on ways to keep people of all ages safe and healthy in their home.
It is aimed at boosting awareness and understanding of what federal and local resources are available to make homes healthier. This year’s overarching theme “Check Your Home; Protect Your Family”, was chosen to create awareness of what it means to have a healthy home by educating families on the importance of assessing ones home for potential health hazards; and to empower people to make change in order to create the healthiest home possible for their family.
Currently, millions of U.S. homes have moderate to severe physical problems, including dilapidated structure; roofing problems; heating, plumbing, and electrical deficiencies; water leaks and intrusion; pests; damaged paint; and high levels of radon gas. These conditions are associated with a wide range of health issues, including unintentional injuries, respiratory illnesses (asthma and radon-induced lung cancer), and lead poisoning. The health and economic burdens from preventable hazards associated within homes are considerable, and cost billions of dollars annually.
The Naugatuck Valley Health District (NVHD) currently has a HUD supported project called Naugatuck Valley Emends Lead Hazards (NauVEL) to help homeowners and property owners remove lead paint and other risks from homes and properties. If your house was built before 1978, you may qualify for:
- Free inspections
- Plans for lead and home safety hazard removal
- Generous financial assistance to remediate hazards
For more information on the NauVEL Program and/or to find out if you qualify, apply online at www.nvhd.org/nauvel
Additional information on making your home a Healthy Home is available at https://www.hud.gov/healthyhomes
