IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v18y2021i22p12014-d680168.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Further Inspection: Integrating Housing Code Enforcement and Social Services to Improve Community Health

Author

Listed:
  • Katharine Robb

    (Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation, Harvard Kennedy School, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA)

  • Ashley Marcoux

    (Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation, Harvard Kennedy School, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA)

  • Jorrit de Jong

    (Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation, Harvard Kennedy School, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA)

Abstract

As a result of working inside homes, city housing inspectors witness hidden and serious threats to public health. However, systems to respond to the range of problems they encounter are lacking. In this study, we describe the impact and enabling environment for integrating a novel Social Service Referral Program within the Inspectional Services Department in Chelsea, MA. To evaluate the first eight months of the program, we used a mixed-methods approach combining quantitative data from 15 referrals and qualitative interviews with six key informants (inspectors, a case manager, and city leadership). The most common services provided to residents referred by inspectors were for fuel, food, and rent assistance; healthcare; hoarding; and homelessness prevention. Half of referred residents were not receiving other social services. Inspectors reported increased work efficiency and reduced psychological burden because of the program. Interviewees described how quality of life improved not only for referred residents but also for the surrounding neighborhood. A simple referral process that made inspectors’ jobs easier and a trusted, well-connected service provider funded to carry out the work facilitated the program’s uptake and impact. Housing inspectors’ encounters with residents present a unique opportunity to expand the public health impact of housing code enforcement.

Suggested Citation

  • Katharine Robb & Ashley Marcoux & Jorrit de Jong, 2021. "Further Inspection: Integrating Housing Code Enforcement and Social Services to Improve Community Health," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(22), pages 1-13, November.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:22:p:12014-:d:680168
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/22/12014/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/22/12014/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Krieger, J. & Higgins, D.L., 2002. "Housing and health: Time again for public health action," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 92(5), pages 758-768.
    2. Adamkiewicz, G. & Spengler, J.D. & Harley, A.E. & Stoddard, A. & Yang, M. & Alvarez-Reeves, M. & Sorensen, G., 2014. "Environmental conditions in low-income urban housing: Clustering and associations with self-reported health," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 104(9), pages 1650-1656.
    3. Khansa Ahmad & Sebhat Erqou & Nishant Shah & Umair Nazir & Alan R Morrison & Gaurav Choudhary & Wen-Chih Wu, 2020. "Association of poor housing conditions with COVID-19 incidence and mortality across US counties," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(11), pages 1-13, November.
    4. Lucy Acquaye, 2011. "Low-income homeowners and the challenges of home maintenance," Community Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 42(1), pages 16-33, January.
    5. Adamkiewicz, G. & Zota, A.R. & Patricia Fabian, M. & Chahine, T. & Julien, R. & Spengler, J.D. & Levy, J.I., 2011. "Moving environmental justice indoors: Understanding structural influences on residential exposure patterns in low-income communities," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 101(SUPPL. 1), pages 238-245.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Swope, Carolyn B. & Hernández, Diana, 2019. "Housing as a determinant of health equity: A conceptual model," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 243(C).
    2. Constantin C. Bungau & Codruta Bendea & Tudor Bungau & Andrei-Flavius Radu & Marcela Florina Prada & Ioana Francesca Hanga-Farcas & Cosmin Mihai Vesa, 2024. "The Relationship between the Parameters That Characterize a Built Living Space and the Health Status of Its Inhabitants," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(5), pages 1-35, February.
    3. Arnab K Ghosh & Sara Venkatraman & Evgeniya Reshetnyak & Mangala Rajan & Anjile An & John K Chae & Mark A Unruh & David Abramson & Charles DiMaggio & Nathaniel Hupert, 2022. "Association between city-wide lockdown and COVID-19 hospitalization rates in multigenerational households in New York City," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 17(3), pages 1-13, March.
    4. Kaylee Ramage & Meaghan Bell & Lisa Zaretsky & Laura Lee & Katrina Milaney, 2021. "Is the Right to Housing Being Realized in Canada? Learning from the Experiences of Tenants in Affordable Housing Units in a Large Canadian City," Societies, MDPI, vol. 11(2), pages 1-9, June.
    5. Stephanie Moulton & Cäzilia Loibl & Anya Samak & J. Michael Collins, 2013. "Borrowing Capacity and Financial Decisions of Low-to-Moderate Income First-Time Homebuyers," Journal of Consumer Affairs, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 47(3), pages 375-403, November.
    6. Peng Nie & Andrew E. Clarck & Conchita D'Ambrosio & Lanlin Ding, 2020. "Income-related health inequality in urban China (1991-2015): The role of homeownership and housing conditions," Working Papers 524, ECINEQ, Society for the Study of Economic Inequality.
    7. Carolina Navarro & Luis Ayala & José Labeaga, 2010. "Housing deprivation and health status: evidence from Spain," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 38(3), pages 555-582, June.
    8. Sima Alizadeh & Catherine E. Bridge & Bruce H. Judd & Valsamma Eapen, 2023. "Home Indoor Environmental Quality and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-25, February.
    9. Milovanska-Farrington, Stefani, 2020. "Parents labor supply and childhood obesity: Evidence from Scotland," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 38(C).
    10. Dragan Gjorgjev & Mirjana Dimovska & George Morris & John Howie & Mirjana Borota Popovska & Marija Topuzovska Latkovikj, 2019. "How Good Is our Place—Implementation of the Place Standard Tool in North Macedonia," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(1), pages 1-16, December.
    11. Philipp Ager & James J Feigenbaum & Casper W Hansen & Hui Ren Tan, 2024. "How the Other Half Died: Immigration and Mortality in U.S. Cities," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 91(1), pages 1-44.
    12. Judith Schröder & Susanne Moebus & Julita Skodra, 2022. "Selected Research Issues of Urban Public Health," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(9), pages 1-28, May.
    13. Juan Pablo Díaz-Sánchez & Moisés Obaco & Javier Romaní, 2022. "Measuring Overcrowding in Households with Children: Official vs. Actual Thresholds in the Ecuadorian Case," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 15(2), pages 383-398, April.
    14. Min Zhou & Wei Guo, 2023. "Self-rated Health and Objective Health Status Among Rural-to-Urban Migrants in China: A Healthy Housing Perspective," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 42(1), pages 1-24, February.
    15. Sungwoo Lim & Pui Ying Chan & Sarah Walters & Gretchen Culp & Mary Huynh & L Hannah Gould, 2017. "Impact of residential displacement on healthcare access and mental health among original residents of gentrifying neighborhoods in New York City," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 12(12), pages 1-12, December.
    16. Völker, Sebastian & Kistemann, Thomas, 2013. "Reprint of: “I'm always entirely happy when I'm here!” Urban blue enhancing human health and well-being in Cologne and Düsseldorf, Germany," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 91(C), pages 141-152.
    17. Stefan Angel & Benjamin Bittschi, 2019. "Housing and Health," Review of Income and Wealth, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, vol. 65(3), pages 495-513, September.
    18. Quinonez, Pablo, 2022. "Social spending and income inequality in Latin America. A panel data approach," MPRA Paper 113538, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    19. Yang Xiao & Siyu Miao & Chinmoy Sarkar & Huizhi Geng & Yi Lu, 2018. "Exploring the Impacts of Housing Condition on Migrants’ Mental Health in Nanxiang, Shanghai: A Structural Equation Modelling Approach," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(2), pages 1-14, January.
    20. Badland, Hannah & Whitzman, Carolyn & Lowe, Melanie & Davern, Melanie & Aye, Lu & Butterworth, Iain & Hes, Dominique & Giles-Corti, Billie, 2014. "Urban liveability: Emerging lessons from Australia for exploring the potential for indicators to measure the social determinants of health," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 111(C), pages 64-73.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:22:p:12014-:d:680168. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.