No parent could put a price on their children’s health, but that doesn’t mean it has to be out of reach. It starts with a safe and healthy home, the kind Habitat homeowner Sandra moved into 10 years ago with her family. 

“(Our) medical bills are less because we’re all healthy and we have a good environment,” said Sandra, who lives in Portland’s Centennial neighborhood. “My kids are happy and thriving because of everything good that’s happening in our lives.” 

Numerous studies show how inadequate housing negatively impacts physical and mental health. 

• Children from families with lower incomes are more likely to live in homes plagued by open cracks and holes, water leakage, rodents, and pests, which lead to an increased risk of respiratory issues, illness, and other environmental stressors.  

• Additionally, children in lower-income households are more likely to live in overcrowded homes than their wealthier peers, which leads to a lack of privacy, loud study environments, sleep disturbances, and behavior problems.  

• And unstable housing comes with a high price. According to Children’s HealthWatch, unstable housing for families with children leads to $111 billion in increased health and educational costs over 10 years. 

After moving into Habitat homes, asthma and allergies are two conditions that dramatically improve in children, and mental health outcomes improve for the entire family. 

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention identified home improvement as one of six evidence-based, high-impact solutions for addressing social determinants of health. Improving housing quality improves general health status, respiratory health and mental health and reduces the risk of injury. 

Habitat is committed to building stable, affordable homes with high standards in environmental quality and safety, and our Home Repair program alleviates dangerous and unhealthy conditions in existing homes. In addition to building high-quality homes, we make sure mortgage payments consume no more than 30% to 34% of a homeowner’s income by offering affordable financial packages, meaning homeowners can still afford other life necessities likemeeting their health care needs and buying heathy food. 

With your support, Habitat is framing a future where everyone has a healthy place to call home, just like Sandra and her family. “No matter what challenges life brings my kids,” Sandra said, “they know this is their safe home.” 

Read more in this series:
Frame a future where every child thrive in school
Frame a future where everyone can reach financial stability
Frame a future where inclusive communities thrive

Learn more about the connection between safe, affordable homes and health, along with other issues such as education, building equity, and community engagement here.

Read more of Sandra’s path to homeownership.

Join our Frame a Future campaign to help build a future where affordable homeownership is possible, creating brighter futures for our neighbors and stronger communities for generations to come.