Acting on the belief that a safe and affordable home is a key component of living a healthy life, Bringing Sustainability Home works to increase the production, preservation, and operation of environmentally sustainable housing as an important asset that is integral to a holistic approach to residents’ health.
Through Healthy Homes, affordable housing providers are equipped with the tools to:
- Implement building design best practices that have a positive impact on residents’ health and well-being
- Center residents’ agency in building design and operations by soliciting resident feedback and applying greater accountability mechanisms
- Promote health equity and positive health outcomes by increasing access to resources such as exercise spaces and healthy food
Resident Voice and Agency
Energy and water efficiency upgrades deliver financial, health, comfort, education, and social resiliency benefits to residents. Find out more about the relationship between different building upgrades and residents and how to conscientiously incorporate resident benefits in retrofit decision-making process by accessing SAHF's resident benefits resources:
Healthy Building Practices
Home environments have a recognized impact on residents' health and well-being, and housing that is well designed and operated can positively impact residents' health. Below are additional resources from industry partners that can help affordable housing owners understand and integrate healthy building practices:
- E4TheFuture’s Occupant Health Benefits of Residential Energy Efficiency report identifies the potential health benefits of residential energy efficiency upgrades.
- Energy Efficiency for All's Policy Matters: Making Energy Upgrades Healthier for Residents, Workers, and Neighbors discusses how to make healthier choices when it comes to energy efficiency upgrades like insulation and air-sealing.
- The Healthy Building Network's HomeFree Initiative supports affordable housing leaders who are improving human health by using less toxic building materials. Check out their demonstration projects and resources such as recommended product specifications.
Health Equity and Positive Health Outcomes
Over the past decade, affordable housing providers , including SAHF members, have embraced energy efficiency, water efficiency, and renewable energy as being integral to providing quality affordable homes. Equally important are the design of spaces and residents’ access to other community amenities. Watch SAHF’s Resident Voices videos to hear from residents and property staff about how built environment can positively impact residents’ quality of life.
Below are additional resources from industry partners that can help affordable housing providers understand the role of housing and building upgrades on residents’ health and well-being:
- Green & Healthy Homes Initiative’s Achieving Health and Social Equity through Housing: Understanding the Impact of Non Energy Benefits in the United States develops a framework for understanding the connection between the multiple benefits of energy efficiency upgrades and social determinants of health.
- Affordable housing providers can also incorporate one of several building certification programs address health in buildings, including Enterprise Green Communities, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED),The Fitwel Certification, The WELL Building Standard.
Check out the rest of SAHF's Health and Housing work by clicking here.