Number of Healthy Homes inspections in Connecticut.
Current Value
38
Definition
Story Behind the Curve
The Healthy Homes approach is a holistic methodology to performing inspections on a home. The inspection takes healthy, safety, housing, and building issues into consideration instead of taking a categorical approach, focusing on just one issue, during the inspection. In 2010, a standardized inspection form was developed and introduced to local health jurisdictions and partner agencies. Interested local health jurisdictions and partner agencies were trained in the use of the form. Federal funding was used to contract with three local health jurisdictions and one partner agency to conduct Healthy Homes inspections. Funding has been reduced and only two local health jurisdictions contracted with DPH to conducted Healthy Homes inspections in 2019 and one in 2020. Because of the lack of funding Healthy Homes inspections being conducted has decreased over the last few years.
These data are current as of July 2020. New data will be available in April 2021.
Partners
Connecticut Department of Public Health; Connecticut Department of Administrative Services (Division of Construction Services); Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development; Connecticut Department of Housing; State Department of Education; Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection; Connecticut Division of Criminal Justice; Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection; Office of the Attorney General; State Legislature; environmental advocacy organizations; local public health agencies; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; housing and urban development agencies; other professional associations for public health, health care, housing and architecture; business including banking, energy providers, and realtors; organizations and coalitions focused on health and the environment; health care providers; community service organizations serving children and underserved populations; continuing education providers; lead treatment and prevention centers; and academic research institutions focused on health and the environment.
What Works
The National Center for Healthy Housing recommends a National Healthy Housing Standard. To ensure that housing is healthy one must first inspection the home. Free training is offered to ensure individuals performing the inspections are comfortable with using the inspection form. Local health jurisdictions and other code enforcment officials are encouraged to adopt the Healthy Homes approach and begin to conduct healthy homes inspections.
National Healthy Housing Standard: http://www.apha.org/NR/rdonlyres/51251449-AD0B-47CF-9F40-89E133F580CD/0/National_Healthy_Housing_Standard.pdf
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Center for Environmental Health (NCEH), Division of Emergency and Environmental Health Services , Healthy Homes and Lead Poisoning Prevention Branch, 2010, Developing a Healthy Homes Program
http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/publications/10_217029A_Walker_HealthyHomesBooklet_101310_UPDATED_WithCovers.pdf
Strategy
Advocate for the adoption and use of a statewide standardized Healthy Homes assessment tool for home visit service providers.
Develop education/awareness campaigns on Healthy Homes for code enforcement officials and for Connecticut residents.