Healthy Homes Initiative - Howard County One Step Closer to Becoming one of the Healthiest Communities in the U.S.

Columbia, MD - Phase three of the Healthy Howard Initiative, Healthy Homes, will be announced by County Executive Ken Ulman and Dr. Peter Beilenson on Monday, June 11, 2007. Healthy Homes will endorse a newly adopted International Property Maintenance Code for Rental Housing which ensures accountability for safe, healthy and clean rental properties. This includes previously unenforceable Maryland Department of Environment regulations for lead based paint. 

Annual costs for environmentally attributable childhood diseases in the U.S. are $54.9 billion - 43.9 billion from lead poisoning, 9.2 billion from neurobehavioral disorders, and 2.0 billion from asthma. According to Dr. Peter Beilenson, Health Officer, "changing several key environmental factors in our houses, both public and private, will positively affect our children's health today and into adulthood." 

Healthy Homes has consulted with many local agencies including: Office on Aging, Department of Inspections, Licensing and Permits, Department of Housing and Community Development and the National Center for Healthy Housing to develop guidelines which are applicable and helpful to all of our citizens. Many recommendations of Healthy Homes are specific to the very young, those with disabilities and seniors. 

Healthy Homes' principles will keep Howard's families in homes that are safe, clean and healthy.

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