ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH WATCH INC

Results: Our programs cover two interrelated areas, with overarching focus on environmental justice and greenhouse gas reduction: 1) Green & Healthy Housing: We work with homeowners, tenants, landlords, housing professionals and public officials: ▪ to increase the affordability of housing by lowering utility costs and improving durability; ▪ to make homes safer and healthier by reducing hazards and improving indoor air quality; and ▪ to reduce greenhouse gases and other adverse environmental health impacts of housing. 2) Community Environmental Health encompasses neighborhood organizing for environmental justice and health equity to address key issues including local air pollution and urban agriculture. Major Projects & Activities Warm & Healthy Homes for Cleveland integrates healthy house repairs with weatherization work in low-income homes in Cleveland. Almost 200 homes will receive this treatment over three years, funded by a HUD Healthy House Production grant to EHW. Resident physicians from Family Medicine Clinic (University Hospital) will take part in inspections of their patients’ homes to learn about residential health hazards. Other partners are the Cleveland Department of Community Development, six community-based weatherization agencies, CWRU School of Medicine, and the Healthy Housing Advisory Council. A Green Housing Workforce component provides training through the Ohio Weatherization Training Center to broaden and enhance employability of weatherization workers. [Ends 9/2014.] Deep Green & Healthy Housing, funded by a HUD Technical Studies Grant to EHW, compares two renovation strategies for low-income housing in terms of energy savings and indoor air quality. Twelve houses were renovated by our partner Cleveland Housing Network – six to Energy Star standards and six to EHW’s Deep Energy Retrofits specifications. The houses are being monitored during 12-months of occupancy utilizing technology developed by our local technology partner Intwine Connect. The CWRU School of Medicine designed the study and is analyzing the data. [Ends 5/2013.] Neighborhood Leadership for Environmental Health (NLEH), initially funded by a US EPA grant to EHW, works with the Neighborhood Leadership Institute in Cleveland urban core neighborhoods to learn about and address environmental justice issues such as air pollution, dump sites, substandard housing, and green jobs. [On-going.] Green Houses & Greenhouses, funded by a US EPA grant to EHW, educates Buckeye residents about healthy and green housing, gardening and urban agriculture. Partners are Buckeye Area Development and the Rid-All Green Partnership. [Ends 12/2012.] Home visit- and group-based healthy house education: Through contracts with the Cuyahoga County Board of Health, the Cleveland Department of Health, and the Cleveland Tenants Organization, EHW educates on lead poisoning, asthma and other healthy house concerns. [End 2013.] Consultation & Training on Enterprise Green Communities, Deep Energy Retrofits, and other healthy-green-affordable housing topics. [On-going.]

Geographic areas served: Primarily Cuyahoga County, Ohio

Programs: Our programs cover two interrelated areas, with overarching focus on environmental justice and greenhouse gas reduction: 1) Green & Healthy Housing: We work with homeowners, tenants, landlords, housing professionals and public officials: ▪ to increase the affordability of housing by lowering utility costs and improving durability; ▪ to make homes safer and healthier by reducing hazards and improving indoor air quality; and ▪ to reduce greenhouse gases and other adverse environmental health impacts of housing. 2) Community Environmental Health encompasses neighborhood organizing for environmental justice and health equity to address key issues including local air pollution and urban agriculture.