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For housing to be considered adequate, it must be habitable. Inhabitants must be ensured adequate space and protection against the cold, damp, heat, rain, wind or other threats to health, or structural hazards.
| Q. What types of environmental risks do low-income and minority people face which affect the habitability and adequacy of their homes? |
| A. In several instances, researchers have found that low-income populations have higher levels of exposure to contaminated water. Low-income and racial minority individuals are also more likely to be exposed to toxic chemicals in the air of their homes, a difference usually attributed to structural deficiencies, poorer heating fixtures, and older construction. These types of environmental toxins are associated with cancer, respiratory morbidity, brain damage, and various neurotoxicological difficulties as well as cognitive and behavioral difficulties. |
| Q. What are the most common illnesses suffered by low-income and racial minority individuals due to lack of habitability? |
| A. Respiratory disorders such as asthma are very common in those living in inadequate housing situations. Low-income households are more likely to be damp, and therefore conducive to dust mites, molds, and fungi, all of which are known to cause respiratory disorders. Epidemics and increases in asthma in inner-city settings may be partially attributable to the elevated pollutants and exposure to allergens in the home. |
| Q. What other problems impact habitability? |
| A. Residential crowding, typically indexed by the ratio of people to number of rooms, impacts habitability and adequacy of housing. Residents of more crowded rooms are more socially withdrawn and perceive lower levels of social support in comparison to individuals living in less crowded settings. Parents in crowded homes are also less likely to be responsive to their children and tend to employ harsher, more punitive parenting styles. Also, low income children and elderly persons are more likely to accidentally injure themselves due to greater exposure to hazardous characteristics of residential structures. |
Sources:
Gary W. Evans & Elise Kantrowitz, Socioeconomic Status and Health: The Potential Role of Environmental Risk Exposure, 23 ANN. REV. PUB. HEALTH 303 (2002). |
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