Housing
Most people spend most of their time at home - so the household environment can significantly affect health. Disrepair that stems from long-term maintenance neglect can lead to serious health problems, including: lead poisoning from lead paint; asthma and other respiratory issues triggered by pests; and carbon monoxide poisoning.
In NYC, substandard housing is disproportionately located in low-income neighborhoods, as historical disinvestment lead to severe, systemic maintenance deficiencies that threatens people’s health. No family should have to choose between affordable and healthy housing - all tenants are entitled to safe, decent, healthy housing that prevents disease and injury.
Rats in your neighborhood
Interactive Heat Vulnerability Index
Rat Mitigation Zones
Real-time heat-related illness
Displacement Risk
Rats are one of New York City’s hottest topics. You see them on the news, while scrolling on social media, and you’ve probably spied more than a few on your commute. We all want to know where in the city the rats are worst, …
Whether it’s electricity powering air conditioning in the summer, gas or oil heating in the winter, or the other forms that energy can take, people need energy to stay healthy and safe. Energy also powers life-sustaining …
Everyone has a story about rats — or more likely, a complaint. If you have made a complaint using 311, you may wonder who receives it, and how it fits into the bigger picture of rat mitigation. What happens to my 311 …
Superstorm Sandy (2012) and rainfall from Hurricane Ida (2021) broke records in NYC and resulted in injury and death. Both showed how the climate crisis is affecting the strength of storms and how profound the threat of …
Health is determined by many factors. People tend to be healthier when they have economic stability, live in quality housing and have access to public space and safe, connected communities. In 2020, the NYC Health Department …
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Health is determined by many factors. People tend to be healthier when they have economic stability, live in quality housing and have access to public space and safe, connected communities. In 2020, the NYC Health Department …
A neighborhood is not only shaped by its residents, but also by governmental practices and policies. Some of these have discriminated against residents because of the color of their skin and have segregated neighborhoods …
Cold weather can be dangerous. Here are some tips for staying safe this winter.
Using public health to prevent violence Experiencing violence affects people in many ways. It not only causes physical injury or death, but being exposed to it can also cause emotional and psychological trauma. Violence …
Inside the 90-year-old financial policy that harms our health In public health, we often cite structural racism to help explain health patterns in our society. But what, specifically, does this mean? A close look at the …
For health, place matters What determines whether or not you’re healthy? You may think about what you eat, whether you exercise, whether you smoke and your family medical history. But you may not think about how your home …
Poverty affects health in many ways. In New York City, the story of asthma clearly illustrates this connection. To understand the connection between poverty and asthma, take a look at this map of poverty rates in New York …