Ohio Healthy Homes News              April 2014
Upcoming Events

The Governor's Office of Health Transformation and the Ohio Department of Health
will gather input on Ohio's next State Health Assessment through four
regional community forums on April 29 in Findlay, May 2 in Athens, May 4 in Dayton and May 5 in Columbus.

Free Webinar: Child Lead Poisoning: Preventable Harm on May 3, 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm. Co-sponsored by the Coalition on Human Needs, First Focus, Children's Leadership Council, Partnership for America's Children, and the National Head Start Association. Register. 

2016 Ohio Diversity and Inclusion Conference, May 13, North Canton. Full day seminar and workshop focused on critical, current issues in diversity. Presented by Coming Together Stark County. Call 330-454-5880 for more information.
 
The Building Environmental Council of Ohio (BECO) will hold regional membership meetings on May 4 in Cincinnati, May 11 in Cleveland and May 19 in Columbus. Topics include 5-year rule changes and demolition update.  Meetings are from 11 am to 1 pm and include lunch. $15 for members, $30 for non-members. For more information, contact Kimberly Corey at 614-784-9772.

The 7th Annual Pediatric Asthma Conference will be held at Nationwide Hotel and Conference Center on May 6-7, 2016 in Columbus, OH.

Free webinar, Knowledge in the Air: The Effect of Green Buildings on Cognitive Function, May 11, 1-2:30, EDT.  The topic is landmark indoor air quality research findings. Sponsored by EPA's Indoor Environments Division.
 
Reducing Lead, Mold, Asthma-Triggers and Poor Indoor Air Quality in Ohio's Housing, the Ohio Healthy Homes Network (OHHN) Spring Forum, will take place on June 9 at the Mayerson Academy in Cincinnati. Co-sponsored with University of Cincinnati's NIEHS - Center for Environmental Genetics, Community Outreach and Engagement Core, and Center for Clinical and Translational Science and Training. See the OHHN News column below for more information.

Please send information on upcoming events through our website at www.OHHN.org using the Contact Us feature.
 
State News Articles

Affordable Housing

 
Asbestos

Health Care

UnitedHealthcare of Ohio Ranks Highest in J.D. Power Member Health Plan Study
OHHN News

Spring Healthy Homes Forum Set for June 9

OHHN's Spring Forum, Reducing Lead, Mold, Asthma-Triggers and Poor Indoor Air Quality in Ohio's Housing, will take place on June 9 at the Mayerson Academy in Cincinnati from 9 am to 4 pm.  The Forum is co-sponsored with the University of Cincinnati's NIEHS - Center for Environmental Genetics, Community Outreach and Engagement Core, and Center for Clinical and Translational Science and Training. 
Registration fees are $20 for OHHN Members and $25 for Non-Members. OHHN will apply for CEUs for Registered Sanitarians. 

Presentations include the following:
  • The Cincinnati Lead Studies: A 35-Year Perspective. Kim Dietrich, PhD, Professor, University of Cincinnati, Department of Environmental Health
  • Effect of Green Renovation on Indoor Air Quality in Low Income Homes. Tiina Reponen, PhD, University of Cincinnati
  • Weaving Hospital-Community Collaboration into Pediatric Asthma Care to Improve Outcomes. Andrew Beck, MD, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
  • Lead Poisoning Prevention in Ohio. John Belt, Ed.S, HHS, Ohio Department of Health
Registration information will be sent to the Ohio Healthy Homes News mailing list and be available at OHHN.org soon. For more information, contact Patricia Barnes.

OHHN Serves on Advisory Work Group Addressing Screening and Referrals in Ohio's Maternal and Child Health Block Grant        
 
Patricia Barnes, OHHN Coordinator, has been appointed to the Ohio Department of Health's (ODH) Maternal and Child Health Block Grant work group, Child and Family Health Services, focusing on children ages 0-12 years old. The state performance measure being used by ODH is the "Percent of children ages 0 to 12 years old, receiving age appropriate screenings, follow-up and referral if needed." OHHN's particular interest is on increasing the number of children in Ohio who receive age appropriate screening for lead and increasing the number of children appropriately receiving referrals based on the screening results.

There's Still Time to Join OHHN for 2016

Thank you to all who have joined OHHN this year. Your support is making possible the Spring and Fall Forums, OHHN's newsletter, website updates, and advocacy activities. It's not too late to become a member, so please send in your membership. Join on our website www.OHHN.org (About OHHN, Membership) or, on that same page, download the membership application and mail it to OHHN with your check. Both organizational and individual memberships are available at affordable rates. 
National Safe and Healthy Housing Coalition News 

Julie Kruse, Policy Director, National Center for Healthy Housing reported to Coalition members last week that the Senate appropriations committee passed the bipartisan FY2017 HUD appropriations bill to:
  • Add $25 million in additional funding for HUD's Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes (OLHCHH) - raising the funding level from $110 to $135 million
  • Provide $25 million to PHAs to address lead-based paint hazards in Public Housing units
  • Allow for "zero bedroom dwellings," which include studios and efficiency apartments, to be treated the same as all other housing units, making them eligible for grants to address lead-based paint hazards
  • Double the staffing resources for the Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes' Enforcement Division to increase enforcement of HUD's lead-based paint regulations in Section 8 and Section 9 properties.
  • Increases oversight, quality assurance, guidance, outreach and reviewof HUD's lead-related regulations, policies, and procedures.
  • Require HUD to amend its blood lead level standard (currently 20 µg/dL by regulation) to the CDC reference level (currently 5 µg/dL)
The National Safe and Healthy Housing Coalition and National Center for Healthy Housing have long supported these provisions and legislation to achieve them. For information on how you can support these efforts, click HERE.
National and International News 

Bed Bugs

Couple says they got bed bugs from padded headboard bought from Walmart

Bed Bugs Bite: Budget Apartments Loaded, Study Finds

Lead
Lead hazard disclosure: Time to better inform home buyers and renters

Paint giant PPG announces it will phase lead out of its products by 2020

Regular breakfast helps reduce lead poisoning in children

Christie adds $10M to New Jersey clean-up efforts

Legislation to Protect Children in Public Housing from Lead Exposure Introduced in House and Senate

AG: Toys with High Lead Content Being Sold Across New York State

Lead in Water 

In Flint, Fears of Showering Bring Desperate Measures

Michigan Governor Synder: I Will Drink Flint Tap Water for 30 Days

Michigan governor seeks tougher lead limit for state, nation

EPA to Conduct National Water Study, Action Plan so 'Every American Has Access to Safe Drinking Water'

Chicago's Upgrades to Aging Water Lines May Disturb Lead Pipes

Energy

Report: Efficiency could provide big benefits to low-income renters

Housing and Health

Housing as a Health Care Investment: Affordable Housing Supports Children's Health

Three Things We Need To Do To Develop a Healthy Housing Stock

Living Near Green Spaces Helps You Live Longer. New Study Shows

Indoor Air Quality

Indoor Air Quality Guidelines for Multifamily Building Upgrades

Toxics 

Mass. firefighters seek ban on flame retardants

CDC Ups Risk Estimates for Chinese Laminate Flooring; Cancers from formaldehyde exposure could reach 30 per 100,000

New Study Finds Laundry Detergent Pods a Serious Poisoning Risk for Children Younger than 6 Years of Age in the United States

Secondhand Smoke

Secondhand Smoke and Allergies in Kids  
About Us

The mission of the Ohio Healthy Homes Network (OHHN) is to promote healthy, safe and affordable housing for people of all ages.  More information is available about OHHN at www.OHHN.org  
 
Disclaimer: The e-newsletter and web site of the Ohio Healthy Homes Network (OHHN) are published by Ohio Healthy Homes Network. OHHN strives to maintain the currency and accuracy of this e-newsletter but makes no warranties regarding the accuracy, completeness of any information contained in this newsletter or linked to by this newsletter. This newsletter is for informational purposes only and OHHN will not accept liability for any damage or injury caused by its use. OHHN does not endorse or guarantee any goods or services mentioned herein and cannot be held liable for the content of any advertisement or performance of any OHHN member.

Ohio Healthy Homes Network | 614-289-8812  | OHHN@OHHN.org | www.OHHN.org
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