This document discusses strategies for green and healthy housing, focusing on issues like asthma triggers, maintenance costs, pest control, smoke-free policies, and green cleaning and materials. It provides data on childhood asthma rates, links between damp homes and increased asthma symptoms, most common work orders at an apartment property, effectiveness of integrated pest management, tenant preferences for smoke-free housing, and potential cost savings from water efficiency upgrades and smoke-free policies. Recommendations are given for green cleaning products, flooring, painting, and integrated pest management approaches.

1. Green & Healthy Housing
Ellen Tohn
Tohn Environmental Strategies
www.tohnenvironmental.com

3. Childhood Asthma in NE
Lifetime & Current Asthma Rates, Children <18
yrs.
20.0%
15.0%
10.0%
5.0%
0.0%
CT ME MA NH RI VT NE
Lifetim e Current
Source: Asthma Regional Council of New England

4. Asthma Triggers

5. Dampness and Asthma
Health Problem Estimated % Increase in
Damp Homes
Upper respiratory tract 52%
symptoms
Cough 50%
Wheeze 44%
Current asthma 50%
Ever-diagnosed asthma 33%
Source: National Academy of Sciences

6. Boston Property Maintenance Costs/yr/unit
Low Mean High
Water and sewer $117 $516 $977*
Pest control $32 $75 $156
Painting $13 $72 $189
Landscaping $0 $72 $187
Appliances $0 $22 $79
Cabinets - Maintenance $0 $34 $83
Cleaning supplies $2 $33 $65
Lighting fixtures and bulbs $6 $17 $38
Ovens and ranges $0 $15 $26
Windows $0 $5 $26
Lighting – Fixtures only $0 $9 $18
Kitchen and bath fans $0 $9 $2
Lighting - Bulbs only $0 $3 $6
* High costs are due to an unnoticed water usage with an outside hose.

7. JP Apartment Work Orders
JP Apartment Work Orders
Other Water Related
26% Water Related
30% Electrical
Appliance Repair Replace
Pest Control
CO/Smoke Detector
Flooring Repair Replace Painting
Electrical
14% 9% Flooring Repair Replace
Painting
7%
Appliance Repair
Replace
Other
6%
Pest Control
2%
CO/Smoke Detector
6%

8. Water Savings: Multi Family

9. Pest Control
• No Spray & Fogging for
roaches & mice
• Monitoring pest
populations & complaints
• Reduce asthma triggers
• Cost savings over time
• Use Quality Pro certified
firms
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10. Indiana Roach Control
% UNITS ROACH FREE
Traditional
IPM
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%
• IPM: vacuums, baits & insect growth regulators
• Traditional: baseboard spraying & borate dusts
• Pesticide use cut > 50 times (827 grams/unit to 15 grams/unit.

11. Tenants Want Smoke Free
• 78% of Maine tenants surveyed prefer smoke free
environments.
• Washington State- nearly 70% of renters very interested
or interested in living in smoke-free housing (2003)
• Los Angeles-Telephone survey 69% favor requiring all
apartment buildings to offer nonsmoking sections
(2004).
• Oregon- Portland metro-area survey -- 75% of renters
say they would choose a smoke-free rental, "other
things being equal".
Source: Smoke-Free Housing New England

12. Smoke Free Saves $$
Source: Source: Smoke Free New England Free Housing New
England

13. Green Cleaning, Painting, and Flooring
Cleaning
Flooring
GreenSeal or EcoLogo Products. Dfe
products are not certified but reviewed. GreenLabel Plus Carpet (e.g., - Mohawk
Everstrand Green Label Plus) or
Supply microfiber wipes and mops. Use Florescore resilient flooring products (e.g.,
HEPA filtration vacuums. Armstrong Imperial Textures VCT).
Purchase paper products that are either  Smooth and cleanable flooring.
Green Seal certified or Forest
Stewardship Council (FSC) certified. Entryway mats /grates to capture dust and
contaminants.
Painting
GreenSeal certified or meet LEED for
Homes VOC standards.
Examples : Sherwin Williams Property
Solutions and Benjamin Moore Eco
Spec Waterborne.
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