Healthy Building Network

Programs: Basic programs healthy building network currently has programs in three areas: innovative research; powerful data tools; and capacity-building education. 1. Innovative research hbn publishes innovative, actionable research that advances human and environmental health. For example, kaiser permanente cited hbn's research as the driver for its decision to prohibit the use of antimicrobial additives in its building product specification, and the home depot relied upon hbn's research to adopt a hazard avoidance chemical strategy that signals fundamental, permanent and systemic improvement in the building products industry, and is a strong step towards health equity in building products. In addition, our influential electronic publications reach thousands of healthy building professionals, scientists, researchers and others interested in decreasing chemicals of concern and are key resources for opinion leaders in the field. As a thought leader, hbn focuses on market trends and policy issues that impact the green building community. In communicating our latest research findings we are often the first to raise new issues of concern. 2. Powerful data tools hbn offers a suite of data tools designed to increase knowledge, promote transparency and inspire product innovation. It is currently difficult to identify healthier building materials because building product ingredients are not typically or reliably disclosed. Hbn is the healthy building movement's acknowledged leader in advancing the disclosure of the contents and related health hazards in commonly used building products. Our data tools include: o pharos: the most comprehensive independent database of chemicals, polymers, metals, and other substances - currently at 57,000 records and counting. Using dozens of scientific lists for specific human and environmental health hazards, it aggregates a vast array of information used for analyzing chemicals of concern. The tool also provides a wealth of information on certifications and standards used to measure the health impacts of building materials, including voc content and emissions, recycled and biobased content, and much more. O data commons: the chemical hazard data commons is a tool to help scientists, researchers, and product innovators identify problematic chemicals and collaborate to find safer alternatives. With an active community forum and an ever-expanding library of substances - built on hbn's powerful pharos database - the data commons is more than just a new way to search for chemical information. It is a shared dynamic space fostering ideas, dialogue, and a future where products free of chemical hazards are the norm and accessible to everyone. O portico: a web based application developed in partnership with google to simplify the analysis, selection, and specification of building products that meet health and transparency objectives. It connects data with project workflow and has three main functions: project management, product research and product information requests. Users can manage a building project by defining criteria, setting goals and tracking progress. Products are assessed against more than 57,000 chemical hazards sourced from hbn's pharos database, allowing users to search and compare materials for health and environmental hazard screening and certification information. Lastly, portico connects manufacturers and their supply chain to their users, providing a direct communications channel to request and provide more detailed information about specific products, streamlining the communications process and saving time and money in the process. 3. Capacity-building education hbn's primary education program is homefree, a national initiative supporting affordable housing leaders who are improving human health by using less toxic building materials. Homefree is comprised of an online resource providing critical information to the affordable housing community, as well as six (6) communities of practice, spotlighting on-the ground demonstration projects across the country. Through homefree, hbn is enabling those who develop, own and operate affordable housing to work at the forefront of healthy building practice by adapting our leading edge research and decision-making technology to the unique needs and opportunities in this market.