Healthy Homes, Better Futures!
- Michele Hoden
- Jul 23, 2024
- 2 min read
By Michele Hoden, Jamestown Community Learning Council Field Supervisor
There is a growing body of research that shows a link between healthy housing and its benefits on the growth and development of young children. Specifically, there are 4 factors of housing that can have a tremendous impact on a child’s well-being, growth, and development. These factors are housing quality, stability, affordability, and location.
When looking at housing quality, things to consider not only include the physical condition of the home, but also the building maintenance. Building materials such as asbestos and lead paint along with building concerns such as mold, pests and poor ventilation can contribute to chronic health conditions in children. These include things like high lead levels, chronic respiratory issues, and asthma. Also, unsafe conditions such as wobbly staircases, broken windows and excess clutter can put children at a higher risk of injury.
Another factor that can have adverse effects on the healthy growth and development of children is housing stability. When families experience things like homelessness and evictions, it contributes to feelings of hopelessness, anxiety, depression, and toxic stress. All of these have a negative impact on a child’s development and their long-term health. Chronic, toxic stress changes the chemical composition of a child’s developing brain which can lead to lifelong mental, physical, and behavioral problems.
A third factor is housing affordability. Many families pay more than half of their income towards their housing costs. This has a tremendous impact on their ability to pay for other essentials such as food, heat, and healthcare. Children who experience food insecurity and/or lack adequate health care are at an increased risk for poor mental and physical health, lower academic performance and delayed social and emotional growth.
Housing location can also be detrimental to the healthy growth and development of children. Neighborhoods that are under-resourced often do not have safe outdoor spaces for children to play and engage in physical activities and social interactions with other children. Both are vital for a child’s physical and mental health.
All of this may seem overwhelming and even a bit daunting but there are solutions. Communities can improve housing outcomes by monitoring existing housing quality and proactively conducting regular inspections of certain rental properties, particularly those that are multi-family dwellings. Communities can also work with Code Enforcement so violations and concerns can be caught and addressed more quickly. Communities can also provide help to owners of lower-cost rental housing in the form of tax incentives or access to capital that would allow them to make necessary repairs without raising the rent for their tenants. Lastly, there are some programs including the federal Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) program and Low Income Housing Tax Credits that can help support the re-development of distressed public and affordable housing units.
When communities focus on providing safe and healthy housing standards for families, it contributes to an overall sense of well-being. When parents and/or guardians feel secure, they can lower their own stress levels and focus more on nurturing and providing a healthy environment for their children to grow and develop. Housing isn’t just a roof over your head, it’s a place to call home and it’s the foundation children need so they can have a secure space to learn, play, and grow.
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