Unhealthy homes can kill. Homes with lead, carbon monoxide, mildew, mold, pests, radon, and drafty windows and doors can kill their residents. Especially vulnerable are children age six and younger who are more likely to succumb to indoor health hazards and toxins. In Minnesota, where the average daily temperature is below freezing 155 days per year, people spend the majority of their time in their homes. During such a lengthy period, unhealthy homes become particularly dangerous. And deadly.

Although lead is just one of several hazardous toxins, it is most clearly dangerous. Lead affects virtually every system in the body and is particularly harmful to the developing brain and nervous systems of fetuses and young children. Even low levels of lead can cause decreased IQ, reading and learning disabilities, reduced attention span, violent behavior and other significant anti-social problems. These effects persist until adulthood and may be irreversible. Some 900,000 children under the age of six in the U.S. are estimated to have lead levels higher than the Centers for Disease Control's level of concern.

There is no comprehensive system for addressing Minnesota’s unhealthy and hazardous homes. Without a broad and inclusive system, our communities are at risk of causing irreparable harm to children, the elderly, the infirm, and their families due to the hazards associated with unhealthy homes.

Sustainable Resources Center (SRC) is the sustainable resource. We are the only organization in Minnesota capable of providing a COMPREHENSIVE process of addressing unhealthy homes. We have developed this system through our successful weatherization and lead hazard control programs, which have successfully addressed hazards in more than 12,000 Minnesota homes.

Our Healthy Homes program is simple, inclusive, and successful. In collaboration with the State of Minnesota and local government agencies, the Healthy Homes model utilizes a four-step system: 1) educate, 2) assess, 3) intervene, and 4) when necessary, repair/remove hazards.

However, the Healthy Homes model has one significant problem. There is virtually NO money available to purchase several simple hazard-reducing supplies that can keep residents healthy and save the lives of children, the elderly, the infirm, and their families. Supplies such as radon detectors, HEPA filters, pest-control devices, and CO2 monitors are accessible to low-income families only in extreme conditions as ordered by State officials.

There is no state, county, city, or private money available to purchase these critical supplies. If a home is exceedingly deadly, state and local officials can step in and purchase or require landowners to purchase these supplies. However, unless the hazards are causing immediate illnesses, there are no funds available to identify and remove these hazards.

Along with our nonprofit partners, health professionals, and government agencies who witness these emergencies on a daily basis, we have found a means of addressing this urgent and unique emergency: The HEALTHY HOMES EMERGENCY FUND.

The Emergency Fund will address a unique and urgent need. SRC and representatives from our partner agencies will manage the Fund. Contributions to the Fund will be used exclusively to purchase healthy home supplies for low-income families with children whose homes are deemed emergency-level hazardous. Only families who are not eligible for other programs or financial support will qualify.

About the Eligible Families:
• All eligible families have at least one child. Most families have an average of three children under five years old
• Most families are led by a single parent, usually a woman
• Unemployment or under-employment is greater than 65%
• Most families have at least one resident whose first language is not English
• Most families have one or more residents who are not members of the immediate family

Although the Fund is in its infancy, we are counting on your support to prove to us, the people we serve, and other donors, that there is an interest in saving children, the elderly, the infirm, and their family members from suffering for the ravages of hazardous homes.

$2,500 will support the removal of home hazards in five to eight homes in the Metro Area, most of which house children under five years old. With your support, we can save lives.