Energy Upgrades for Healthy Public Housing

ABSTRACT

Can energy and water efficiency investments improve the health of residents living in Boston's public housing?

Recent work at the Boston Housing Authority (BHA) indicates that public health concerns are a major consideration for energy-related building upgrades in public housing. Current energy-related health and safety concerns in BHA's family developments include asthma, allergies, scalding, chronic headaches and colds, and poor thermal comfort. Potential causes for these health concerns include apartment overheating, condensation on exterior walls and windows, water and steam leaks, gas stove emissions, exposed radiators, inadequate ventilation, and inadequate insulation.

Over the past two years BHA has developed a master plan of energy and water efficiency upgrades for their entire portfolio of 15,000 apartments in 68 developments. Public health officials and researchers are concerned that some of the proposed upgrades may exacerbate current poor indoor environment conditions where they exist. At the same time, however, public health officials and researchers are cautiously optimistic that integrated energy and health upgrades can improve current poor indoor environment conditions.

From a public health perspective, BHA's residents are a high priority—albeit hard to reach—population who live in an indoor environment that may contribute to poor resident health. From an energy consultant's perspective, BHA's developments are woefully inefficient and full of energy and water savings opportunities that could reduce BHA's long-term operating costs. Preliminary analysis indicates that BHA could integrate measures proposed by two energy and health initiatives to potentially improve long-term indoor environment conditions for their residents and reduce BHA's long-term operating costs. Energy service providers can play an important role in BHA's health and energy initiatives.