One of your New Year's resolutions, I'm sure, was to "move into a better apartment/my own home." I took the plunge myself a while back, and I've created a list of resources that may be useful to you in your great attempt.
The average adult spends roughly half of their time at home. Children under the age of six spend a lot more time at home and are more vulnerable to domestic dangers. Housing-related elements have the power to either improve or deteriorate our health. As a result, choosing where to stay is a significant decision that should be made only after great consideration. In this essay, I'll talk about how the physical conditions in our homes, the conditions in our neighborhoods, and housing affordability affect our health.
What Impact Does Housing Have on Our Health?
Healthy living environments promote emotional and physical well-being. For optimal health, you must live in a home that is secure and free of physical dangers. Poor housing, on the other hand, contributes to health problems such as chronic diseases and injuries, as well as having a detrimental impact on children's development.
Indoor colds have been linked to a wide range of health issues, including an increased risk of heart disease. Extremely high and low temperatures have been linked to an increase in mortality, especially in high-risk populations such as the elderly.
Poor indoor air quality, lead paint, and other hazards are common in many homes, placing families and children at risk for a variety of health problems. Lead poisoning, for example, has an irreversible impact on brain and nervous system development, resulting in reduced mental ability and reading difficulties.
Overcrowding in homes has been linked to medical ailments such as respiratory infections and TB, as well as psychological distress in children and adults.
Water leaks, inadequate ventilation, filthy carpets, and pest infestations can all increase mold, mites, and other allergens linked to poor health in substandard housing.
The Healthy Residential Standards Guidelines
What should I keep an eye out for before paying a new home's rent (or mortgage)? You may ask.
They are as follows:
1) Site:
It should be elevated above the rest of the environment.
You should have access to a road for safety and convenience in the event of an emergency.
It should be located far away from fly breeding areas such as dumpsites, pools of water, and shrubs.
It should be devoid of annoyances such as smoke, odor, excessive noise, and traffic.
It should be in a lovely setting with trees and flowers to provide a soothing effect.
The soil must be dry and well-drained. During the rainy season, you don't want to be swimming to get to your house. Or maybe you don't.
2) Set back: "Set back" refers to the open space all around the house. Lighting and ventilation should not be obstructed by the setback.
3) Walls: They must be strong, weather-resistant, unsuitable for rat and vermin breeding, long-lasting, and smooth. These standards can be met with a smoothed 9-inch brick wall.
4) The floor must be waterproof, damp-proof, crack-free, and smooth.
5) Floor Space: Depending on the number of occupants, the living room floor space should ideally be at least 50 square feet per person.
6) Roof: If no air conditioning is provided, the roof height should not be less than 10 feet (3 meters).
7) Cubic Space: Unless mechanical air replacement is employed, rooms should be tall enough for each person to have at least 500 cubic feet of air space, ideally 1,000.
8) Lighting: More than half of the floor area should have a daylight factor of more than 1%.
9) Windows: Every living room should have at least two windows, one of which should open directly onto the open space. Windows in living rooms should be situated no higher than 3 feet (1 m) above the floor. One-fifth of the overall floor area should be dedicated to windows. The combined area of the doors and windows should be equal to 2/5th of the floor space.
10) Kitchen: Keep the kitchen clean, dust-free, and smoke-free, as well as well-lit and equipped with water, fuel, and food storage.
11) Water Supply: A safe and sufficient supply of water should be available in the home at all times. Because this is required for basic hygiene such as hand washing, cleaning utensils, and showering.
In the Neighborhood, Health, and Safety
The physical, economic, and social characteristics of a neighborhood are increasingly being shown to influence short-and long-term health quality and longevity. By providing secure locations for children to play and people to exercise that is devoid of violence, crime, and pollution, a community's qualities can boost health.
By giving access to labor opportunities and public services such as security, efficient transportation, and decent schools, socioeconomic conditions in areas can improve health.
These opportunities and resources, on the other hand, are not available in every town. The accumulation of substandard housing in marginalized communities exacerbates health disparities based on race and socioeconomic status.
The Health Effects of Low-Income Housing
It is commonly referred to as "affordable housing" when a family spends less than 30% of their income on housing. Due to a lack of affordable housing, low-income families are usually pushed to inadequate housing in unhealthy, overcrowded ghettos with higher rates of poverty and fewer possibilities for health promotion, such as green spaces, bike lanes, and community centers.
Families' ability to meet other essential commitments is harmed by the lack of affordable housing, putting many people in a financial bind. Low-income families are forced to make trade-offs between food and other necessities due to high housing costs. Low-income people who were having difficulties paying their rent, mortgage, or utility bills, according to one study, were less likely to have a regular source of medical care and were more likely to put off obtaining treatment.
Given the many ways that a home can affect one's health, I recommend that you focus on the physical quality of housing, neighborhood elements that promote health, and inexpensive housing.
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