Priorities
CHHC members address healthy housing from multiple perspectives. As a result, the coalition’s priorities represent a comprehensive approach towards achieving healthy housing for all. CHHC organizes itself into three workgroups focused on the following priorities:
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Habitability – Combat substandard housing conditions affecting many low-income renters, such as pest infestations and mold.
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Indoor Air Quality – Reduce exposure to contaminants in the home, including pesticides, tobacco smoke, and outdoor pollution.
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Lead Poisoning Prevention – Eliminate exposure to lead hazards in the home and improve the identification of and support to lead poisoned children.
COVID-19 and Healthy Housing Resources
CHHC members have compiled a range of resources specfic to addressing health and housing during the COVID-19 pandemic. We will continue to update this list as new relevant resources become available.
Special Update: Healthy Housing and COVID-19
US EPA: Info and resources on indoor air quality and COVID-19
US Dept. of Housing and Urban Development: webinars on reducing risk in muti-family housing (English/Spanish/Guidance for public housing)
Green and Healthy Housing Initiative: Virtual Healthy Homes Toolkit
Special Update: Tenants' Rights and Emergency Eviction Protections
Tenants Together: Know your rights/Database of local policies in CA
Legal Services of Northern California: videos on CA's state protections (English/Spanish/Madarin/Candonese)
Western Center of Law and Poverty/Bay Area Regional Health Inequities Initiative: Webinar on CA's emergency protections.
Special Update: Smoking/Vaping and COVID-19
California Tobacco Control Program: Smoking/Vaping & Coronavirus FAQ
Stanford School of Medicine: Smoking/vaping & Coronavirus Fact Sheet (English/Spanish)
Smoke Free Public Housing Project: "How COVID-19 Shed New Light on Lung Health and Smoke-Free Public Housing" webinar (passcode dg0!mY7z)
Tobacco Education Clearinghouse: Smoking/vaping and COVID-19 video and infographics
American Academy of Pediatrics: Preventing tobacco exposure during the pandemic
Resource: IPM in Rental Housing
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is the most effective and least harmful way to address pests. By addressing the root causes of pest problems, IPM serves as a long term solution to pest problems that advoids the costly, routine pesticide applications commonly used in rental housing. To encourage more property owners to adopt IPM and a more effective and healthier alternative to routine spraying on their rental properties, CHHC members members developed a series of short videos to encourage landlords to transition to the use of Integrated Pest Management. Videos include:
In addition to the videos, our IPM webpage has a wide range of resources to help landlords and property managers make the transition.
Healthy Housing Updates
February 2020
Celebrating a Decade!
CHHC's 10th Annual Meeting
The 2020 CHHC Annual Meeting was held on February 25-26 at the Sierra Health Foundation in Sacramento. Coalition members from across the state gathered to to learn, share, and collaborate.
On day one, members were greeted by Assemblywoman Autunm Burke who provided an overview of the state's efforts to improve housing. We then had three panel presentations:
Addressing Housing Build Near High Traffic Roadways
- Annalisa Schilla, California Air Resources Board (slides)
- Henry Hilken, Bay Area Air Quality Management District (slides)
- Jennifer Callewaert, San Francisco Department of Public Health (slides)
Addressing the State's Housing Crisis
- Rob Weiner, California Coalition for Rural Housing
- Jorge Rivera, Tenants Together
- Tram Nguyen, Alameda County Department of Public Health (slides)
Update on Implementation of Lead Paint Settlement Funds
- Janet Scully, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (slides)
- Chris Lee, City of San Diego Environmental Services Department (slides)
- Larry Brooks, Alameda County Healthy Homes Department
We finished the day with break out sessions for the Habitability, IAQ, and Lead Poinsoning Prevention Workgroups.
On day two, some members attended a training on enforcing the state's healthy housing laws by Matthew Silver with Silver and Wright, LLP and the California Association of Code Enforcement Officers. Others went to the state capitol to talk with their local representatives about the healthy housing issues they are working on in the community.
Thanks to all who attended, presented, and sponsored the event! Looking forward to our next decade!!!!
2020 Sponsors:
Title Sponsor
Healthy Housing Champions
Healthy Housing Advocates
Mission
The mission of CHHC is to provide leadership to ensure safe and healthy housing for all Californians. The coalition’s diverse membership, including housing rights and social justice organizations, public health advocates, local, state, and federal government agencies, and other experts on housing, indoor air quality, and health, comes together to provide resources, expertise, and advocacy for statewide policies to promote and protect healthy housing, with particular attention on low income communities and communities of color.
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2016 HUD Secretary's Award for Innovation in Healthy Housing Policy
