This year’s Healthy Homes Month is a reminder about how important the home environment is to child development. In 2017, 40,122 children had blood lead levels (BLLs) ≥5 µg/dL. Another 11,000 had  BLLs ≥5 µg/dL. These children are at risk of lower IQ, decreased ability to pay attention and underperformance in school. However, lead poisoning is 100% preventable!

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) kicked off National Healthy Homes Month last week. The 2020 theme is “Healthy Housing For All,” with a focus on:

• Raising awareness of the importance of Home Maintenance and the impact on health
• Educating the public about free local resources available
• Encouraging implementation of online activities and events in targeted communities

New Podcast for Healthy Homes Month

HUD Secretary Ben Carson is releasing a new podcast series called “8 Principles of a Healthy Home” to educate families about home health hazards like lead, mold and carbon monoxide.

The podcast features commentary from leading subject matter experts from HUD We’ve included the first episode for you within this post.

“At HUD, one of our top priorities is to put that understanding into action and continue to educate families about ways they can keep their homes healthy,” says Secretary Carson. “National Healthy Homes Month is an important part of that effort.”

What You Can Do

HUD is empowering owners and agents to educate residents about healthy homes and hazards where they live. The department is providing a toolkit, banners & posters, and topic specific resources about lead, radon, asthma, and carbon monoxide.

You can find all of these resources here.

• Share the information with your residents, using this flyer.
• Place the posters in common areas.
• Talk to your staff about how to keep homes safe for residents.
• Use the suggested social media posts.

CDC Resources

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