Looking for more information? This resource library links you to studies and reading materials you can use to learn more about the impact of poor housing conditions on health as well as how a modest investment in home improvements can improve health.
There is a significant body of research that has developed in the United States showing how substandard housing conditions cause of a range of physical and mental health problems. Perhaps even more importantly, studies and pilot programs in Philadelphia and other cities show that home repairs to eliminate substandard conditions improve the health of families and individuals living there.
Our understanding of the link between health and housing is not new. The need for action to ensure safe, decent, and sanitary housing as a means for preventing disease and injury goes back to the bible where the Lord gives Moses and Aaron regulations about how to fix houses with spreading mildew. (Leviticus 14:33-54)
Our understanding of the actions we can take to improve housing quality, however, has grown considerably over the centuries. This resource library provides key studies on the intersection between housing and health and Philadelphia specific reports with recommendations for how government can most effectively help to improve housing conditions.