Help Yourself to a Healthy Home

The Healthy Homes Initiative builds upon the activities of CSREES and HUD that address housing-based health and safety risks. Its network of state coordinators have partnered with state agencies, medical professionals, schools, and community groups to educate families on home health hazards. A number of resources have been produced to support this effort.

Some of the most serious health problems for children may start at home. This website introduces some of these concerns and provides resources to help you learn what you can do about them. Did you know your home might have hidden dangers to your children's health?

 Cover of Help Yourself to a Healthy Home
Help Yourself to a Healthy Home (English version).

    Ask yourself:
  • Is the air in your home clean and healthy?
  • Do your children have breathing problems, like asthma?
  • Is someone in your home allergic to mold?
  • Do you know the signs of carbon monoxide poisoning?
  • Is there lead anywhere in your home?
  • Is your tap water safe to drink?
  • Do you have household products with chemicals in them that can make you sick?
  • Do you use bug spray or other products to keep away pests?
  • Do you keep poisons where your children can reach them?

The answers to questions like these will help you learn if your home is safe and healthy. We offer several resources.

Help Yourself to a Healthy Home: Protect Your Children's Health - 3rd Edition

Is your home the safe and healthy environment you want it to be for your family?

In our colorful, easy-to-read booklet, Help Yourself to a Healthy Home, you will learn to identify safety risks and hidden dangers in the home environment. Each of the nine chapters includes action steps to help you find problems and suggestions for ways to correct them.

Topics include indoor air quality, asthma and allergies, mold and moisture, carbon monoxide, lead, drinking water, hazardous household products, pesticides, and home safety. Information for additional sources of help are also provided at the end of each chapter. The 56-page booklet is available in several other languages—Spanish, Vietnamese, Bosnian, and Hmong.

This publication costs $1.50 each (including shipping).

To order this publication, submit an order using the online order form or call 334-844-5638.

Healthy Homes Issues and Links
baby accessing household chemicals under a sink View a summary of the common environmental health issues around the home, and for each, a list of links to useful web sites.

Regional Healthy Homes Activities
US map Learn about Healthy Homes activities in your state.

Other Resources

Search the Healthy Homes resource collection for Extension publications and other materials developed for Healthy Homes programming.
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or comments, please E-mail the
Web Coordinator.