What We Do
Lutheran Family Services Healthy Housing (HH) reduces the economic and physical impact of substandard housing on families by holistically improving the health and safety of the homes in our community. Our work reduces healthcare costs associated with in-home hazards such as radon, mold and asthma triggers. Our work disrupts home-related health issues that can undermine a family’s ability to work, learn, and thrive.
Our programs reduce asthma-related emergency department visits, rescue inhaler usage, and increase positive health behaviors such as smoking cessation and furnace filter replacement frequency. We have the solutions for the disproportionate impacts of pediatric asthma and other health issues stemming from poor housing conditions in communities of historic disinvestment.
While healthcare providers offer clinical solutions for health issues after diagnosis, we provide the structural solutions by addressing hazards within the home that prevent health issues from occurring in the first place.
We provide education, supplies, and construction upgrades to reduce environmental hazards in the home and improve the health of children and families.
Disrupt the cycle of poverty by ensuring a family’s housing conditions do not prevent them from going to school, going to work, or engaging with their community.
Reduce the economic and physical impact stemming from poor housing conditions for both families and healthcare systems.
Lutheran Family Services Healthy Housing provides healthy home assessments regardless of qualifying factors. Clients requesting HH healthy home services and/or specific environmental testing are provided a menu of options to choose from, and the requested payment is calculated according to income. For families that qualify for our programs they can take advantage of the additional resources we provide.
Healthy Home Assessment
Radon Testing
Referrals to other programs
Our Programs
Lutheran Family Services Healthy Housing’s programs are designed to address health and safety concerns frequently seen in substandard housing. HH works to reduce the economic and mental burden of illness caused by unhealthy housing conditions. HH’s programs are evidence-based and holistically designed. Program coordinators work to understand the whole picture of a family and their home to best curate services that will be most impactful to them.
Breathe easy with AIR!
AIR was created to improve health outcomes in children with asthma through multi-layer and multi-tigger interventions. Any family who has a child with asthma qualifies for AIR, which provides free supplies and case management for families to improve the quality of their homes. AIR was awarded the National Environmental Leadership Award from the EPA in 2019 – the highest award an asthma management program can receive. According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, the per-person cost of asthma is $3,266 a year. AIR helps families by reducing asthma-related ER visits and hospitalizations, which in turn prevents costly healthcare costs.
CHEER for healthy homes!
CHEER is Healthy Housing’s construction program. Families making at or below 80% of the area median income (AMI) qualify for construction if our in-spectors find issues in the home. The average construction intervention through CHEER is $3500.
Our Impact
In 2006, HH was founded with the help of a Department of Housing and Urban Development grant. For 17 years, it served the community and is now proudly operating as part of Lutheran Family Services (LFS). As of 2023, LFS has expanded its mission to include housing, recognizing the significance of safe and secure housing for the community’s overall well-being. HH’s work perfectly aligns with LFS’s mission, making it an important addition to the organization.
Donate
Your donation today can make a difference in the lives of families all over. Here are some ways in which your money helps us:
$250
Cost of our Healthy Home Assessment that assesses the health risk of families homes.
$500
Cost of maintaining our inspectors various licenses active and current so that we can continue providing our services to families.
$3400
Average amount spent on our construction interventions provided to families who qualify. This ranges from simple gutter replacements to the installation of a radon mitigation system.
Click on the link below to make your donation today!
