What is a Healthy Home?

A healthy home is dry, clean, safe, ventilated, free of pests and contaminants, well maintained, and thermally comfortable. In addition, homes should be affordable and accessible to all people, regardless of age or ability. A healthy, safe, affordable, and accessible home supports basic needs and protects you and your family from illness and injury. Please pay attention to the whole house to have a healthy home and keep it healthy.

The Alameda County Healthy Homes Department believes in a comprehensive approach to multi-hazard environmental interventions, focusing on lead, moisture control, integrated pest management (IPM), safety, and toxins in residential properties.

Everyone can have a healthy home by following these eight Principles below, and you can help make your home a healthier place to live in.

Dry: Damp houses provide a nurturing environment for mites, roaches, rodents, and molds, all of which are associated with asthma.
Clean: Clean homes help reduce pest infestations and exposure to contaminants.
Pest-Free: Recent studies show a causal relationship between exposure to mice and cockroaches and asthma episodes in children; yet inappropriate treatment for pest infestations can exacerbate health problems, since pesticide residues in homes pose risks for neurological damage and cancer.
Ventilated: Studies show that increasing the fresh air supply in a home improves respiratory health.
Safe: Most injuries among children occur in the home. Falls are the most frequent cause of residential injuries to children, followed by injuries from objects in the home, burns, and poisonings.
Contaminant-Free: Chemical exposures include lead, radon, pesticides, volatile organic compounds, PFAS, and environmental tobacco smoke. Exposures to asbestos particles, radon gas, carbon monoxide, and secondhand tobacco smoke are far higher indoors than outside.
Maintained: Poorly maintained homes are at risk for moisture and pest problems. Deteriorated lead-based paint in older housing is the primary cause of lead poisoning, which affects some 535,000 U.S. children annually.
Thermally Controlled: Tenants and homeowners are at risk for various health problems related to prolonged exposure to excessive heat or cold when their homes do not maintain adequate temperatures.

Additional info:

Healthy Homes Program Booklet
Housing problems cause a ripple effect of impacts
Help Yourself to a Healthy Home Booklet
Healthy Homes Maintenance Checklist