Moving Into Green Healthy Housing

Green building rating systems typically have the following categories: integrated design, location and neighborhood fabric, site improvements, water conservation, energy efficiency, materials beneficial to the environment, healthy living environment, and operations and maintenance. Green construction of residential structures is increasingly commonplace, with energy consumption, market demand, policy and regulation being the driving forces. One previous study involving children with asthma showed a significant improvement in self-reported symptom-free days, caretaker quality of life, a 41.2% reduction in use of urgent clinical care and a significant reduction in the visible evidence of rodents, mold and other asthma triggers.(1) Another showed significant improvements in self-reported general health, asthma, and non-asthma respiratory problems.(2)