Matthew Camarda, Laraib Kamal, Kurt Lituma, Preethy Thangaraj, Yifan Ye
The connection between housing and health is multifaceted and well-documented. As millions are forced indoors during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, the quality of housing likely has an even greater impact on one’s health than in the past. This report explores the relationship between health and housing and provides recommendations for healthy housing initiative programs based on both primary and secondary research.
Our analysis is based on existing data, published literature, and interviews with representatives of community health organizations, community development organizations, government officials, and academics. The primary goal of this report is to identify gaps in healthy housing initiatives in Newark and Paterson, New Jersey and offer recommendations for designing sustainable healthy housing initiatives in neighborhoods adjacent to St. Joseph’s University Medical Center, Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, and University Hospital. Our analysis divides issues associated with health and housing into two broad categories: systematic and household issues. Systematic issues are macro-economic and social variables that might impact healthy housing, while household issues are more specific to structural and environmental issues inside a home.