Healthy Homes Vermont 2018
Many Vermonters in low-income households are at a greater risk of health problems due in part to the buildings in which they live. The nexus between building energy efficiency and better health is now becoming the target for improving housing conditions for vulnerable populations. It is a target shared by both the health and energy sectors, with historical and ongoing support from the social services sector.
This report offers a story of pilot projects under the new Vermont Healthy Homes Program. The projects have demonstrated a successful partnership among those three sectors, applying their respective funding sources and human resources to pave the way for more positive health outcomes for people at risk of respiratory and other conditions exacerbated by inadequate housing conditions. The project concept, with its necessary partnerships, may be scaled to a cost-effective, program-level component of energy efficiency programs statewide, and as a model for other jurisdictions.