Access to affordable housing can provide numerous benefits to renters and buyers, including leading healthier lives. A new survey from the affordable housing nonprofit Enterprise Community Partners establishes the connection between homes and wellness. It also goes to show that rent-burdened Americans suffer through potentially damaging delays in medical care due to their limited budget. The report discovered more than 50% of renters had delayed medical care because they could not afford it. Moreover, 100% of medical professionals surveyed said their patients had expressed concerns about affordable housing.
How Does Housing Impact Health?
Survey's like Enterprise's go to show how nonprofit, governmental housing groups are beginning to view housing and health as ...
The relatives of American soldiers encounter harmful daily exposure from environmental issues found in the housing they’re provided with by the U.S. Government, reports show. Black mold, plumbing problems, poor water quality, and other concerns are among the harms to which service members, their spouses, and children are exposed. These complications originate from low-quality construction, according to Military Times. The Military Family Advisory Network (MFAN) conducted an online survey seeking feedback on the state of military housing in January. Shannon Razsadin, MFAN’s executive director, said the results were alarming. “Some are dealing with major long-term implications, and while things probably can’t be made right for them, we do hope that moving forward, ...
At the end of her life, Samarys Seguinot-Medina hopes to say she made the world a safer place to live for the children in her family. Seguinot-Medina has known two personal truths since she was young: Nature, as well as humanity, are worth fighting for; and there are countless issues to battle — causing her to devote her time, career to promoting environmental justice and chemical safety. That is why, for almost 10 years, Seguinot-Medina and her colleagues at Alaska Community Action on Toxics (ACAT) worked to ban hazardous flame-retardant chemicals, or polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), in Alaska (8.9% Latino). Those efforts eventually resulted in passing Assembly Ordinance 2019-15(S), or the Toxic Free Children Ordinance, an Anchorage-wide ban of products containing those ...
Magnolia Park is one of the oldest Latino neighborhoods in Houston's East End. Unfortunately, its 17,800 residents live in a food swamp. Fast food access is abundant. Healthy food access is scarce, as are safe spaces to be physically active. Jorge Olvera wanted to boost healthy food and physical activity at the same time. His big idea? Community gardening. "A great strategy for addressing [food swamps and hunger] is to provide community members a safe space to grow their own food," Olvera said.
The Great Need for Healthy Food in Magnolia Park
Olvera works for El Centro De Corazon, a federally qualified health center. He witnessed the health center serving a growing amount of Magnolia Park and East End patients who had debilitating chronic and obesity-related ...
The California Department of Substance Control (DTSC) received 61 comments, 80% from Salud America! network members, that urged state regulators to remove harmful chemicals in nail-care products. The department began taking statements on February 15, asking for the public’s input on toluene — a substance linked to numerous adverse health issues. Studies and reports have shown that this chemical poses harm to those who experience long-term exposure. We asked our Salud America! network members in California to speak up for the safety of salon industry workers and consumers. The DTSC received 61 comments, 50 of which were or a variation of, Salud America! model messages. Still, the DTSC has more work to do in determining whether or not toluene should become a “priority ...
Latinos now account for the majority of homeownership growth in the U.S., according to recent findings from the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP). The report analyzes information such as labor force participation, household formation, median income, and aspirational interest, among other factors, to evaluate different demographics' roles in overall homeownership gains. It also provides insight into how Latinos are fairing in the current housing market. The data shows that Latinos are the only racial or ethnic demographic with positive homeownership rates over the last four years. "Over the past decade, Hispanics have accounted for 62.7% of net U.S. homeownership gains, growing from 6,303,000 homeowners to 7,877,000, a total increase of ...
One person is injured every 2 minutes and one killed every 2.5 hours on Texas roads. Texas (39.4% Latino) is the eighth-most dangerous state for people walking. Latinos and people of color, people in low-income neighborhoods, and older adults are in the most danger when walking. Unfortunately, it can take decades to create safer roads if there is no political will. That’s why Vision Zero Texas is asking Texans to sign a petition for safer neighborhood streets and send a letter to leaders of the Texas transportation system requesting a zero-fatality goal. Click here to sign a petition asking state leaders to allow cities to lower speed limits. Click here to send a letter asking transportation leaders to prioritize road safety to end traffic deaths. Vision Zero Texas will ...
Following a two-year review of hand sanitizer ingredients, the FDA finalized a rule that bans the use of 28 harmful substances from these products. This regulation will only affect roughly 3% of sanitizers on the market, and the FDA has yet to ban three of the most common chemicals: benzalkonium chloride, ethyl alcohol, and isopropyl alcohol, according to CNN. FDA officials said they would continue to seek information concerning those substances. “Our action today aims to help provide consumers with confidence that the over-the-counter hand sanitizers they’re using are safe and effective when they don’t have access to water to wash with soap,” said Dr. Janet Woodcock, director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, in a press release last ...
This week, the CDC announced 555 confirmed measles cases so far this year in the U.S. — a 50% increase from last year’s total numbers. This is a result of anti-vaccination, or more commonly anti-vax, sentiments, which have been on the rise amongst American parents — despite bodies of research that dispute the claims made by anti-vax views. The facts surrounding vaccinations have been muddied because of online misinformation campaigns. In a case where two sides are at odds, it is best to ask a few questions: What are the facts?
Who is presenting the information?
Are those facts and presenters trustworthy? So, here are the key questions, and truths, concerning vaccinations. 1. Where Do Vaccinations Originate? In 18th Century Europe, smallpox killed roughly ...
