Healthy Housing
Healthy Housing
How to make your home healthier by reducing pests and mold, protect your family from lead and make your home smoke-free.
A Healthy Home
Three Steps to a Healthy Home
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Pests need water, food, and shelter to live, just like you. Here’s what you and the property owner can do to get rid of them and prevent them from invading your home.
- Moho o Humedad en Mi Hogar
- Mold & Moisture in my Home
- 3 Steps to a Pest-free Apartment
- Why IPM Makes Good Business Sense: National Center for Healthy Housing
- IPM Basics
- How to Pest-Proof Your Building
- IPM for Multi-Family Housing: San Francisco Experience
- IPM Toolkit for Owners and Managers: New York Experience
- IPM Toolkit for Property Owners
- 3 Steps to a Healthy Home
- 3 Pasos y Fuera Plagas
- CDPH Mold Guidance Booklet
- Pest Control Basics for Property Managers
- Para que se Vayan las Cucarachas
- Asma y las Plagas en el Hogar
- Read more
- Video: Safer Spring Cleaning Basics!
- Video: Limpieza Menos Toxica 2023
Smoke-Free Housing
Drifting smoke in multi-unit housing (such as apartments and condos) is a danger to children and families. While the number of current smokers in our community continues to decrease, many residents are still exposed to secondhand smoke every day. This is why the San Mateo County Tobacco Education Coalition (TEC) educates tenants about what steps they can take if smoke is drifting into their unit. At the same time, TEC works with landlords to educate them about the benefits of developing smoke-free policies for the apartment or condo buildings they own.
- California tenant and landlord opinions on smoke-free housing
- Americans for Non-Smokers Rights - steps for tenants to resolve drifting smoke issues
- Pediatrics - drifting smoke and children in apartments 2011
- Scientific evidence of smoke flowing between apartments - 2010
- Smoke-free housing as social justice - 2010
- TIME magazine article on thirdhand smoke - 2010
- Fair Housing Act - secondhand smoke and people with disabilities
- ChangeLab Solutions - Legal Options for Tenants Suffering from Drifting Tobacco Smoke
- San Mateo County Property Owner Smoke-Free Housing Fact Sheet
- Links to Other Multi-unit Housing Smoking Ordinances
- Read more
Protect Your Children from Lead Poisoning
Lead is a poison. Lead is harmful even in very small amounts, and it is most dangerous for young children.
The San Mateo County Lead Prevention Program’s mission is to prevent lead exposure for young children. We provide case management support around reducing lead exposure as well as other preventative services that families may need, such as referrals to community resources. Home visits and services are provided by Public Health Nurses and Senior Community Workers.
Services include:
- Home visit to identify triggers and provide education around preventing exposure.
- Developing plan with families to address concerns.
- Support around scheduling blood level lead tests.
- Collaborate with medical providers and Environmental Health Dept.