Ohio Healthy Homes News           March 2017
Events, Trainings and Podcasts 

Housing Ohio 2017 -  Please join the Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio (COHHIO) on April 10-12 for the only annual statewide conference focused on ending homelessness in Ohio at the Sheraton Columbus Hotel on Capital Square, Columbus.

Lessons from Baltimore: The Intersection of Public Health and Physician Activism, April 14, City Club of Cleveland, co-sponsored by Community Solutions. Speaker: Leana Wen, M.D., MSC, FAAEM, Commissioner of Health for the City of Baltimore. Tickets are $20 for members and $25 for non-members. Call 216-621-0082 for more information.

Essentials for Healthy Homes Practitioners Course, April 18-19 at the Environmental Management Institute in Indianapolis. Registration fee is $200 for non-profits and government, all others $250. Registration and payment can be made through the link to the Essentials course. 
 
Starting at Home, April 27-28, Renaissance Hotel, a one-day conference sponsored by Ohio Capital Corporation for Housing and the Ohio Housing Finance Agency. The conference will bring together a variety of visionaries to continue a dialogue about the difference affordable housing can make in the lives of low to moderate income households.

CDC-funded National Healthy Homes and Lead Poisoning Prevention training, May 15-18, St. Louis, Missouri. No registration fee but you must be approved by a CDC representative and cover your own travel (more information is provided below).

Ohio Public Health Combined Conference, May 15-17, DoubleTree Hotel, Columbus. Sessions include "Toledo Lead Ordinance: Pioneering through Leadership" (Joshua Niese, Toledo Lucas County Health Department) and "Healthier Buildings = Healthier People: WELL, LEED and their Connection to Public Health" (Jacqueline Langhals, US Green Building Council, Ohio Chapter). Contact Lois Hall at 614-635-0207.  Info also at Ohio Association of Health Commissioners. 
 
Lead-Based Paint Basics, OCCH Training Academy, May 11, 9 - 4:30, CPO Training Center, 933 E. Gay Street, Columbus. This course will cover lead regulations, lead inspections and testing, maintenance and renovation jobs, and clean up and waste disposal. If your property was built prior to 1978, you should attend this class! Free to OCCH Partners and $89 for non-OCCH partners. Call or e-mail Lynn Logan at 614-224-8446.
 
"Roadmaps to Equity: Opportunities for Closing Health Gaps" regional forums will be held in Columbus, Cleveland and Cincinnati during the month of May. Stakeholders will learn about Ohio's overall health and challenges, as well as health disparities and inequities experience by minority and other priority populations across the state. 12:30 - 3:00 pm. Free of charge. Register in advance for your preferred location.

National Association of Local Boards of Health Annual Conference, August 2-4, Downtown Westin Hotel, Cleveland. 
 
Coming Soon: The Healthy Home Evaluator Course prepares students to identify and evaluate health-related hazards in a client's home. Students will learn how to apply good practices in working with residents, identify housing-related health hazards, use tools to measure hazardous conditions, prioritize hazards, and identify and communicate solutions to residents. For more information contact the Corporation for Ohio Appalachian Development's (COAD) Ohio Weatherization Training Center or contact Lora Rawson, M.Ed, Professional Development Programs Manager, Corporation for Ohio Appalachian Development at 740-594-8499 ext 230.
 
Save the Date: 2017 BECO (Building Environment Council of Ohio) Conference, November 16th, Crowne Plaza, Dublin, Ohio.
 
Podcasts:  
 
Microbiology of the Built Environment: Researcher Tina Reponen was the guest on IAQ Radio on March 24. Dr. Reponen is the Director of the NIOSH-funded University of Cincinnati Education and Research Center (ERC), which includes graduate programs related to occupational health from three colleges: Medicine, Nursing and Applied Science and Engineering. She is currently directing two cohort studies. One is focused on the association between indoor bioaerosol exposures and the development of children's allergy and asthma and the other is focused on the effects of green renovation on indoor air quality and occupants' health.
 
The ABCs of Pest Control: Allergens, Baits and Cockroaches, March 2, StopPests. Dr. Coby Schal of North Carolina State shared his research results on effectively managing cockroaches with baits in contrast with ineffective bug bombs or TRFs (total release foggers). You'll hear advice on effective cockroach baiting techniques including bait rotation, and placement and product suggestions. This webinar is for all housing staff, pest management professionals, and advocates for safe pest control in housing.  
OHHN Update

Legislative Lead Study Group: Progress Report
 
The Ohio Healthy Homes Network (OHHN) has been working with Senator Peggy Lehner since November 2016 to draft legislation to create a legislative lead study group for the purpose of reviewing and improving Ohio's lead law. To date, 23 organizations have agreed to be named to the study group. The study group is being proposed as an addition to the Ohio Senate budget. If approved, the group will begin meeting this summer and issue its recommendations within 12 months.

Why is this a good time to update Ohio's Lead Law? 

1. A lot has changed in the 14 years since the law was amended. Federal and state lead regulations have been updated such as recent changes to the Lead Safe Housing Rule and the EPA's Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule. "Lead hazard control", a mix of interim controls and abatement that is not part of the state lead law, has become the preferred strategy to address lead hazards in the HUD Lead Hazard Control grant program. In 2012, the CDC established a new reference level of 5 mg of lead per deciliter of blood and declared there is no safe level of lead in blood. Ohio followed the CDC's lead and adopted the new reference level in 2014.

2. Children's exposure to lead has recently received a lot of media attention. This has been triggered in large part by the devastating impact of lead contaminated drinking water in Flint, and subsequent discovery of lead in drinking water pipes and fountains all over the US, including Ohio.  With the intense scrutiny of lead levels in water, deteriorating lead-based paint in homes built before 1978, a far greater threat to children, has resurfaced as a major public policy issue.

3. A number of recent studies documenting the impact of lead on children's ability to succeed in school have united the diverse interests around the "lead-safe" housing concept. In response to a strong community-wide push, Toledo became the first city in Ohio to pass a city-wide lead-safe rental housing ordinance in 2016. Cleveland is currently developing its own strategy to increase the number of lead safe housing rental units.

4. The 2003 state lead law gave state and local government tools to address lead hazards after a child was poisoned but did little to actually prevent children from being poisoned. It also didn't provide any resources for the Ohio Lead Poisoning Prevention Fund. Without assistance, low-income homeowners and small rental owners with lead orders have sometimes had to vacate their properties. Approximately 700 units with second and first lead orders are in need of assistance.

5. Ohio is taking steps to help families locate lead safe housing, resolve the backlogs of lead hazard control orders, and reduce lead in drinking water.  Governor Kasich's lead budget proposals and Ohio's quick response to the discovery of unacceptable lead levels in drinking water, demonstrate an increasing level of concern about lead and a greater willingness to protect children.

Update on ODH Lead Proposals

ODH Director Richard Hodges testified in March to the House Finance Subcommittee on Health and Human Services on two lead proposals in the Executive Budget. The proposed lead safe housing registry will be located within the Ohio Rental Housing Locator of the Ohio Housing Finance Agency. Participation by owners of rental properties will be voluntary. Lead dust testing and training will be required before a property can be listed. The CHIP (Medicaid) funds will be used for lead abatement in properties with 2nd or 1st lead orders. Rental property owners will be eligible for assistance but are expected to contribute to the overall cost. The House Subcommittee on Health and Human Services completed hearings on March 23. OHHN submitted written testimony in support of the Governor's lead proposals.

OHHN Membership

Our thanks to all who have renewed their membership for 2017 and to all of our new members joining for the first time. Your support is critically important to our success. OHHN depends on membership dues to support its public policy, education and communications activities. Any organization/firm or individual with an interest in healthy housing is welcome to join OHHN. Dues are $60 for organizations, agencies and firms and $35 for individual members.  Please consider joining OHHN today. For more information, see Membership.
Free Healthy Homes and Lead Training

The CDC-funded National Healthy Homes and Lead Poisoning Prevention Training Center is offering 3-1/2 day training on May 15-18 in St. Louis, Missouri.The training will focus on implementing practical strategies to build programs, conduct housing-based primary prevention, develop and maintain strategic partnerships, and improve linkage to care.
 
Who Should Attend: First preference for registration will be given to CDC Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention cooperative agreement recipients. Others encouraged and eligible to participate in this training include:home inspectors, sanitarians, code inspectors, outreach staff, community health workers, visiting nurses, and care coordinators; staff from Maternal and Child Health or Federally Qualified Health Centers with home visiting programs, community action agencies, community development corporations, community-based organizations, and tenant councils;staff from asthma and injury prevention programs; and individuals from other agencies or private sector organizations working in the lead poisoning prevention and healthy homes fields.

Topics: The training includes six general session topics and the opportunity to register for one of three available training tracks. There is a special focus on how to improve your surveillance systems and strengthen your lead poisoning prevention programs. You will also learn about cost-effective, evidence-based housing interventions that will improve health outcomes in your communities. Reviews of recently-published research and guidelines will help you set your own goals for improving your own practice. CEUs are available for nurses and sanitarians. 

Registration: In order to attend this training and to learn more about contact hours, please contact Healthy Homes Solutions' Laura Titus at 443.539.4161 and submit a registration request. Ms. Titus will then seek approval from a CDC representative. Once approval is confirmed, Ms. Titus will send you a link to the registration page. There is no fee to attend.

State News
 
Affordable Housing
 
 
 
Asbestos
 
 
Asthma
 
 
Bed Bugs
 
Children's health
 
 
Energy
 

Falls
 
 
Federal budget

 
Fires
 
 
Health
 
 
 
Healthy Homes Initiative (Toledo)
 
 
Health Departments
 
 
Home Visiting
 
 
Housing Court
 
 
Lead
 

Ohio wants more done to close child lead poisoning cases
 
Lead in Water
 
 
Ohio Department of Health
 
Public Health Lead Investigator Definition
Ohio Department of Health
Comment Period Ends April 14

Rule Review (3701-30-01) - Public Health Lead Investigator Definition
 
A rule in the category Health - Disease Prevention/Surveillance is being considered for review:
-Rule Title: Definitions
-Rule Number: 3701-30-01
-Proposed Action: Amended
 
-Additional Information: This rule sets the definitions for O.A.C. Chapter 3701-30. The rule is amended to broaden the definition of a public health lead investigator to include an individual with a lead risk assessor license who has successfully completed a training course approved by the Director and a forty hour internship prescribed by the Director and completed under the supervision of a public health lead investigator.
 
-Agency Link: For more information, click HERE. If you would like to comment on Rule Number: 3701-30-01, please click HERE.The comment period will be open until 4/14/2017 12:00:00 AM.
National and International News

Affordable housing
 
The Gap: A Shortage of Affordable Homes
 
Asbestos

Asthma

 
Children's asthma symptoms improve when families educated on reducing household allergens
 
City living can make asthma worse for poor children, study finds
 
Bedbugs
 
Construction
 
Optimizing recycling reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) in building & construction
 
EPA
 
EPA Decides not to ban a pesticide, despite its own evidence of risk
Cut environmental justice at the EPA, and we all lose
 
Trump's EPA budget proposal targets climate, lead cleanup programs
 
Federal budget
 
Administration proposes 2018 HUD budget
 
Trump administration releases FY 2018 budget blueprint with deep cuts to HUD and elimination of HOME (Editor's note - there's a silver lining: The blueprint proposes a funding increase for Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction)
 
Flame retardants
 
Flame retardant chemicals may affect social behavior in young children
 
Health
 
Pediatric alternative payment model opportunities: general information
 
New CDC interactive tool provides neighborhood-level health data
 
HUD
 
Dr. Ben Carson sworn in as HUD secretary
 
Lead
 
Childhood exposure to lead can blunt IQ for decades, study suggests
 
Lead-paint bill would let Baltimore sue for past damages
 
Syracuse sees Rochester as role model to tackle lead paint problem
 
NJ Governor lowers lead limit
 
"It's terrifying to me:" Hartford family poisoned by lead paint
 
Lead poisoning in "dozens of California communities" worse than Flint, Michigan
 
Lead in ammunition
 
Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke brings back lead ammo in parks and refuges
 
Lead and diet
 
UB study: little evidence to back diet recommendations for lead

Lead in soil

Lead-tainted water is a big problem in Pittsburgh. So is lead in the city soil
 
Lead in toys
 
RMU study finds lead at high levels in fast food toys
 
Lead in water
 
Michigan and Flint agree to replace 18,000 home water lines by 2020
 
"Hidden Poison" revealed by Pennsylvania nonprofit news collaboration
 
 
Mercury
 
Mercury guide...whether you're getting dental fillings or ordering sushi, keep these tips in mind to avoid exposure
 
Tobacco prevention
 
Cigarette smoking and adverse health outcomes among adults receiving federal housing assistance
 
Toxics
 
Congress just fixed TSCA - yet is now gearing up to re-impose the worst flaws of the old law across the entire Federal government
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  

To have your event or news included in the Ohio Healthy Homes News or to comment, contact Patricia Barnes, Executive Director at ohhn@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.

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