Warren Friedman, Ph.D., CIHWarren Friedman, Ph.D., CIHSenior Advisor to the DirectorSenior Advisor to the Director

Office of Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard ControlOffice of Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard Control11/25/201311/25/2013

HUD’s Healthy Homes ProgramFY 1999 appropriation for the Office of Lead Hazard Control:“$10,000,000 shall be for a Healthy Homes Initiative, … that shall include research, studies, testing, and demonstration efforts, including education and outreach concerning lead-based paint poisoning and other housing-related environmental diseases and hazards.”

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Healthy Homes in HUD Strategic Plans• FY 2003-08: Objective C4, Mitigate housing

conditions that threaten health.• FY 2006-11: Objective C5, Address housing

conditions that threaten health.• FY 2010-14: Sub-Goals 3B, Utilize HUD

assistance to improve health outcomes, and 4B, Promote energy efficient buildings and location efficient communities that are healthy, affordable and diverse.

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Healthy Homes Strategy for Action Issued 2/4/2013 by HUD, HHS (CDC, NIEHS),

USDA, DOE, DOL, EPA, NIEHSDeveloped by Healthy Homes Work Group, &

Children’s Environmental Health Task ForceBuilds on Surgeon General’s Call to Action to

Promote Healthy Homes, and HUD’s Healthy Homes Strategic Plan, issued jointly 6/9/2009

Provides detailed framework for interoffice and interagency collaboration on making homes healthy and safe for residents 4

Safe and healthy home characteristics“The Homes Work Group believes that in the vast majority of cases, homes that meet the following characteristics can provide a safe and healthy environment for residents:

Dry Contaminant freeClean Well ventilatedPest free Well maintainedSafe Thermally controlled”

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Healthy Homes Strategy for Action GoalsEstablish Healthy Homes recommendationsEncourage adoption of Healthy Homes

recommendationsCreate and support training and workforce

development to address health hazards in housing

Educate the public about healthy homesSupport research that informs and advances

healthy housing in a cost-effective manner6

Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding StrategyIssued 8/19/2013 by Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding

Task Force of 15 agencies, 9 White House offices, chaired by HUD Secretary.

Designed to “help protect communities in the region when future disasters take place.”

Based on a vision that as “we build for the future, we do so in a way that makes communities more resilient to emerging challenges such as rising sea levels, extreme heat, and more frequent and intense storms.”

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Rebuilding Strategy and public healthPublic health concerns permeate this strategy, e.g., recommending comprehensive analyses of local/regional rebuilding needs & options:•Project design and selection processes should include assessing:• Public health and safety impacts (e.g.,

injury, illness, loss of life, impacts to hospitals and healthcare facilities, and psychological impacts). …

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Indoor Environmental Pollutants• FEMA, EPA, HUD, HHS should issue consolidated

guidance on remediating indoor environmental pollutants (mold, lead, radon, asbestos).

• The agencies should recommend or establish region-specific and housing-stock specific tool-kits for States and localities responding to disasters.

• Tribal, State and local governments should ensure that remediation of these pollutants is in rebuilding construction/rehabilitation programs.

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Indoor Environmental Pollutants Work GroupThe Indoor Environmental Pollutants Work

Group, with the four agencies listed and OSHA, convened on November 5th, and has a goal of issuing guidance by September.

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HUD’s Connection to this Committee (1)Post-disaster recovery strategizing typically has

focused on restoring physical and economic systems, in particular, the physical infrastructure, rather than on public health (including residential health and safety), medical and social services.

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HUD’s Connection to this Committee (2)Just as HUD has worked on integrating public

health issues into its housing strategies and operations, we appreciated the opportunity the IOM provided to extend this strategizing effort through the high level of expertise we expected would be provided by its establishing this Committee.

We look forward to its addressing housing health and safety issues as an integral part of its efforts.

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Contact informationHUD Office of Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard Control

451 7th St. SW (8236)Washington, DC 20410-3000202-755-1785TTY: 800-877-8339www.hud.gov/healthyhomes; orwww.hud.gov/offices/lead

Warren Friedman, Ph.D., CIHWarren.Friedman@HUD.gov202-402-7574

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