Up to Code: Code Enforcement for Public Health


Code Enforcement

A new guide by ChangeLab Solutions can help local jurisdictions design a code enforcement program to help create and maintain health housing. Good quality housing is central to the health of individuals, families, and communities. When housing falls into poor conditions or disrepair due to pest infestation, moisture damage, hazardous chemicals, or inadequate ventilation, its residents tend to have poor health. Unhealthy homes have been linked to 20-30% of all asthma cases, over 20,000 lung cancer deaths, and a host of preventable fatal and nonfatal home injuries. Without proper maintenance, homes can become unhealthy and dangerous. Strong housing codes, well-trained enforcement officers, and municipal cooperation are necessary to protect residents. Property owners and ...

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2.5 millones de hispanos sin perspectivas de poder comprar una casa


housing

En los próximos cinco años, el 40 por ciento de nuevos hogares será formado por latinos. De acuerdo a Hispanics & Home Ownership: Closing the Gap, un nuevo reporte por el Demand Institute, más de cuatro millones de latinos en Estados Unidos,  tiene el sueño de ser  propietario de su propio hogar, pero solo 1.5 millones de Hispanos estarán financieramente  preparados para tomar ese paso, dejando a 2.5 millones de Hispanos sin perspectivas de poder comprar una casa. Ingresos suficientes al igual, un buen nivel de crédito y buen enganche son varios de los obstáculos que los latinos enfrentan a la hora de comprar una casa. “Los hispanos fueron golpeados muy duro por la crisis financiera y la burbuja inmobiliaria,  haciendo que el panorama para muchos de  hispanos ...

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Housing Developer Adds Sidewalks, Playground to Neighborhood in the ‘Colonias’



Not everyone has access to places to play or be physically active. That is why a housing agency, fueled by local research and focus groups of homeowners, created policy to include sidewalks, hike/bike trails, and a playground to plans for an affordable housing neighborhood in a colonia, an impoverished region of South Texas. Why Is Obesity an Issue in Colonias? Research indicates an obesity rate of 18.1% among Mexican-American preschool -aged children living in colonias—small, impoverished settlements that often lack proper infrastructure along the Texas-Mexico border. Colonias tend to lack sidewalks, street lights, places for recreation, and running water. Ann Cass, director of Proyecto Azteca—a non-profit organization that works to build homes for residents in the ...

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