The region’s aging housing stock and housing-affordability crisis means that many families, especially low-income families, live in substandard housing that can cause or exacerbate poor health. Policy makers struggle to respond to these problems, as enforcement of building codes is spotty and funding streams are minimal and highly fragmented. To improve the health of residents regardless of income, cities and counties in the region need to invest in their building data systems, conduct more proactive inspections, and look for ways to pool funding in order to make our region’s housing stock healthier.
