September 19, 2014 | The Detroit News
Washington — The city of Detroit plans to apply to become one of the Obama administration’s eight or more new “Promise Zones” — an effort launched in January to aid the nation’s struggling cities, rural areas and tribal nations.
The new round of applications is due Nov. 21 — with at least six planned for urban areas, one in a rural area and one tribal nation. Rep. Gary Peters, […]
September 8, 2014 | The Detroit News
Andre Bey wasn’t surprised a couple of weeks ago to see a blighted house being torn down directly across the street in his northwest Detroit neighborhood, because the city is conducting a record-setting number of residential demolitions.
But this time, he knew it was coming and understood how to protect his family. The city in May rolled out regulations for its contractors, hired watchdogs to monitor demolitions and mounted […]
September 8, 2014 | Huffington Post
Portland, Ore. — The worn, heart-shaped rug that greeted you upon entering Angela Molloy Murphy’s preschool was a reflection of the love she has for the 17 children she cares for daily in her home’s remodeled basement.
To Tamara Rubin, however, the welcome mat was more of a warning sign.
September 3, 2014 | NJ.com
Not long ago, a Trenton elementary school principal was baffled by a student’s struggles to learn the basics — until she discovered the child had lead poisoning. That was a eureka moment.
As families see their children go off to school to start another academic year, it’s time to remember that the principal and her student are not unique. Lead poisoning is still with us, and so are the dusty, outdated […]
August 28, 2014 | Science Daily
Damp and mould in homes could pose a significant health risk to people with asthma according to a new study published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.
By critically reviewing the findings from 17 studies in eight different countries, the research has found that the presence of several types of mould can lead to breathing problems in asthma sufferers, as well as increasing the likelihood of developing […]
August 25, 2014
On August 11, metro Detroit experienced wide-spread flash flooding causing many homes and roadways to be inundated with water. The AmeriCorps Urban Safety Program (AMUS) worked on helping the flood victims on two separate occasions.
First, AMUS attended an event with the governor on Friday, August 15th. This event was in Royal Oak. A team of AmeriCorps members, Governor Snyder and approximately 20-30 neighborhood volunteers cleaned about 6 basements in the area. The […]
August 21, 2014 | U.S. News
Marketers and MTV may think youth is where it’s at, but often, old is in. And arguably, that’s never been truer than when it comes to houses.
“Every house has problems, but sometimes the older they are, the better built they are,” says Kristi Hughes, a public relations executive who, with her husband, purchased a 300-year-old, two-story Georgian Colonial house in the suburbs of Philadelphia about two years ago from […]
August 2014 | The Nation’s Health
A new National Healthy Housing Standard could help millions of U.S. residents and homeowners make living spaces safer and healthier.
Public health and housing leaders, including U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan and APHA Executive Director Georges Benjamin, MD, gathered to unveil the new standard on May 16 in Washington, D.C. The standard, released by APHA and the National Center for Healthy Housing, is a “health-focused […]
July 24, 2014 | Green & Healthy Homes Initiative
Lansing, MI (July 24, 2014) – Local government and community partners signed an agreement today designed to boost efforts in Lansing, Michigan to improve health, economic and social outcomes for families, children and seniors. By signing the Green & Healthy Homes Initiative® (GHHI®) Compact, the partners formalized the city’s joint commitment to work toward the implementation of an integrated system that will deliver housing intervention programs […]
July 17, 2014 | ABC
The trigger for investigating lead exposure has been halved in new draft recommendations released yesterday by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC).
Previously the level of lead in blood deemed to be of concern was 10 millionths of a gram per 100 millilitres of blood (or 10 micrograms per deciliter: μg/dL). However the new draft recommendations warn that people living in areas with no discernible source of lead pollution […]