Two Shades of Green: Making Housing Green and Healthy

Presenters: Colleen Flynn, Deborah Nagin, Sean Robin & Sarah Wolf

Moderator: Ellen Tohn

What We Will Cover Today

■ Housing quality and health in NYC

■ Cost issues challenging affordability

■ Innovative strategy to address these problems, focusing on affordable housing to promote green and healthy property management

Housing Quality and Health

■ Asthma is the most common childhood illness in NYC Worsened by housing-related allergens

• Pests • Moisture/Mold • Secondhand smoke

■ Heart disease is the leading cause of death among New Yorkers Tobacco use, physical inactivity, and obesity are some of the

modifiable risk factors targeted by DOH• Promoting more active living in homes and communities through

active design• Promoting smoking-cessation and smoke-free housing

Housing Disrepair, Allergens, and Poor Health Outcomes Increase with Neighborhood Poverty

Challenges to Housing Affordability in NYCOperating Expense Trends

Source: NEF NYC

We Need New Solutions

Need for strategies that: Target housing of most at-risk individuals Are cost effective and scalable to high-risk

communities Incentivize good housing maintenance Incentivize active living and injury prevention

in homes and communities

Two Shades of Green (TSG)

■ Collaboration Effort Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) NYC Department of Health & Mental Hygiene NYC Coalition for a Smoke Free City

■ Goals Promotes green and healthy property

maintenance in existing affordable housing using cost effective measures

Building wide approach

TSG History

■ In 2012, LISC NYC and Enterprise completed energy and water retrofits in 2,226 affordable housing units through a $15 M Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) contract and $3,800,000 in city and private funds leveraged

■ Weatherization Plus Health Conference in 2012

■ Two Shades of Green pilot in 2013

TSG Priority Areas

■ Water Conservation

■ Green Cleaning

■ Integrated Pest Management

■ Smoke-Free Housing

■ Active Design

The Role of the TSG TeamFor Each Priority Area

■ Work with Community Development Corporations (CDCs) to assess current practices and experience, including costs

■ Support implementation through technical assistance, training and resource identification

■ Evaluate intervention success Establish baseline measures, perform tenant/staff pre-survey

and agree to performance targets Assess change over time – costs, complaints, other markers,

post tenant/staff survey

Controlling Moisture & Conserving Water

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Living in Damp Homes Increases Health Risks

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Health Problem Estimated % Increase Risk of Health Problem in Damp Homes

Upper respiratory tract symptoms

52%

Cough 50%

Wheeze 44%

Current asthma 50%

Ever-diagnosed asthma

33%

Source: National Academy of Sciences (2004)

Water Conservation■ How TSG Helps

Gather water bills and input into electronic system

Compare to expected• Identify spikes

• Check for leaks Implement conservation

measures• Train staff and tenants

Assess change over time

■ Measures of Success Lower water usage Reduced water bills

• Savings can be substantial – 40% reduction in water usage and $50K in water bills over one year

• Payback within months

Moisture control• Identify and fix leaks

– Running toilets– Unreported plumbing

leaks

Leaks: Fix problems that are wasting significant water. Check usage data forspikes. Check meters at 3 am, when usage is low to identify leaks.

Low Cost Upgrades: Effective actions in most properties: repair toilet flappers;install low flow showerheads and aerators.

Rehab Opportunities: Replace toilets (especially 3gpf) with EPA WaterSense,upgrade clothes washers with WaterSense equipment.

Water Saving Opportunities

Green Cleaning

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Traditional Cleaning – A Significant Asthma Risk

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Health Effects: Breathing issues; allergic reactions; eye, nose, and throat irritation; headaches, loss of coordination, nausea; damage to liver, kidney, and central nervous system.

Green Cleaning Reduces Worker Health Risks

■ Custodial staff at risk - 6 out of 100 professional janitors are injured by chemicals, particularly disinfectants Headaches Breathing toxic fumes, asthma Burns Eye and organ damage Cancer

■ Workers report reduce symptoms after switching to green products

■ Green does not need to cost more17

Green Cleaning■ How TSG Helps

Assess current costs and experience

Make transition to new green cleaning supplies, including walk-through with green cleaning vendor

Train building staff and tenants

Assess change over time

■ Measuring Success Safer cleaning supplies

• Fewer worker and tenant complaints about odors

• Fewer worker safety issues – less irritating products to respiratory and skin irritation

Better for the environment• Low VOC, biodegradable,

less packaging

• Reduced costs• 25% reduction in

cleaning cost

Integrated Pest Management

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Integrated Pest Management

■ Traditional pest control relies on the scheduled application of pesticides

■ IPM eliminates pests by fixing housing conditions (cracks, holes, leaks) conducive to pests; while pesticides are used - safer pesticides and more targeted application

Benefits

■ Fix unhealthy housing conditions Reduces asthma triggers (pests, moisture, mold) Reduces food/water contamination Promotes safer use of pesticides

■ Improve housing/structural conditions through regular maintenance and housekeeping

■ Money for pest control better spent Longer lasting impact Pest control integrated into strong property

management■ Avoid housing code violations

Two Shades of Green: IPM Process

■ Assessing current pest control practices Key pest problems

• Discussion/walk through

Current pest control service agreement/make recommendations • Scope of services in your contract? How does it compare to model IPM services?

• Are you getting the services and are they working?

• Are there less pest problems? Are they staying the same? Or getting worse?

• Reviewing costs

■ Implementing IPM measures Provide staff and tenant training, as needed

■ Assess change over time

Measuring Success

■ Reduce the presence of pests Fewer tenant complaints and sightings by staff

■ Reduce pesticide use

■ Improved property maintenance Sealing cracks, fixing leaks, better garbage

management

■ Pest control costs Slight increase initially, but leveling off

Smoke-Free Housing

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Smoke-Free Housing ■ Prohibits smoking in all indoor areas, including inside residential units■ Legal and non-discriminatory■ Reduces exposure to secondhand smoke, and associated health risks■ Saves money on unit turnover cost by preventing property damage

■ Reduce cigarette fire risk, which is leading cause of residential fires

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Costs of Rehabilitating a Residential Unit

Floor Baseboards Have Gaps

Tracer gas released in one unit…

…seeps into another unit

Corroded Bathroom Fan

Other Openings Are Hidden

Source: Wilson, K. M., J. D. Klein, et al. Tobacco-Smoke Exposure in Children Who Live in Multiunit Housing. Pediatrics. 2010;2010-2046.

Children’s exposure to secondhand smoke is highest in

multi-unit housing

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Single House Attached house Apartment

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Housing Type

Exposure to Secondhand Smoke

Smoke-Free Housing

Suggested process to go Smoke-Free:

Step 1: Education and Outreach: “We share the air” discussions; Surveys of Residents and Staff

Step 2: Develop the Policy: Establish the parameters and consequences

Step 3: Implementation: Notify residents of the new policy in writing, and include a smoke-free rider to all leases at renewal; Install signage; Support smoking cessation

Step 4: Enforcement & Compliance: Respond to complaints of violations promptly, according to the terms of the new lease; Continue to support smoking cessation

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Smoke-Free Housing

Two Shades of Green Smoke-Free Case Study:

■“More than 50% of tenants in NY multi family buildings prefer smoke-free housing.” NY Adult Tobacco Survey 2007-09

■Growing Support for Smoke-Free Housing: Housing and Urban Development (over 300 public housing authorities in US now smoke-free), NYC Housing Preservation & Development, Related Realty (40,000 units)

■ Two Shades groups working on smoke-free housing: Bridge Street Development Corporation, a brand new three-story, 23 unit affordable housing development Harlem Congregations for Community Improvement, Inc. an eight story, 65-unit building, and Harlem's first

LEED-Silver-designed building for seniors Cypress Hill Local Development Corporation committed to implement a smoke-free program in its 31

buildings and 257 units

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Active Design

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Overview: Active Design

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Active Transportation Active Recreation

Active Buildings Active Nutrition

Motivation

■ Health Equity - Chronic diseases connected to built environment disproportionately impact low income residents such as those residing in affordable housing

■ Need to address existing housing■ Potential to impact environments and systems, a key public health

strategy■ Benefits of Active Design

More active residents Many strategies are low cost

■ Broad Active Design Implementation LEED point for Active Occupants Mayoral Executive Order/ Creation of Center for Active Design Publication Affordable Designs for Affordable Housing

Milestones

■ Site walk-through to inventory opportunities■ Assess interest from residents with idea boards, surveys,

focus groups or workshops■ Identify project■ Implement project ■ “Opening Day” with education, outreach, celebration■ Maintenance, tracking, sharing success stories

Case Study: The Melody, Bronx

Less than 1/2 % of total development budget

Case Study: Los Sures, Senior Building■ Issues:

Lack of direct access to side yard Community room in cellar under-utilized Building entrance and lobby are poorly organized

■ Solutions: Create access to side yard from building Raised beds in side yard Re-organize lobby Mural in stairway Enhancements to community room

■ Evaluation ongoing Pre/Post Survey Focus Groups

TSG Evaluation

■ Goal To assess whether TSG is a viable model for

affordable housing that saves money and results in greener and healthier housing.

■ Primary Questions: Are there changes in building management practices and staff/tenant

behaviors? Are there cost savings? Are cost savings reinvested into building? Is the support provided by TSG, such as training sessions, webinars,

materials and tools, useful for the CDCs? Is this model replicable and sustainable?

TSG Evaluation- Data Collection■ Building assessment to guide CDC in selection of the priority

intervention areas and for baseline data■ Property management record review (complaints, work orders,

costs) ■ Building Staff and Tenant pre and post surveys to assess

satisfaction, attitudes, behaviors and experiences■ Surveys with CDC staff to assess perceived usefulness and

satisfaction with tools■ Exit Focus Groups and/or In-depth interviews with CDC staff

upon end of intervention to assess overall satisfaction and capture lessons learned

Overcoming TSG Challenges

■ Time CDCs are busy managing buildings; hard to

prioritize new project when many competing priorities

■ Money Limited financial incentives for strong property

maintenance Making housing green, healthy and affordable

TSG Successes

■ Commitment and excitement from CDCs and partner groups■ State Farm Grant

To support implementation and evaluation Capacity building – value of bringing CDCs together, info sharing,

problem solving■ Finance Roundtable

Looking at financing opportunities to leverage green and healthy property management

■ Ultimate TSG Measure of Success Water/energy conservation performed routinely and reinvest some

savings into building to make them healthier and safer Policy change to incentivize best practices

Question & Answer

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ROUND TABLE DISCUSSION

Making Housing, Health and Affordable: A Case Study

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