Public Health and Housing Blight

 

While there are many effects of housing blight, one that is often overlooked is the decline of public health in a community. We spend a good portion of our lives in our homes, so when the environment we live in is not well, we are not well. The fact that our environment affects us is not exactly news; however, housing blight is a phenomenon that helps us to understand how, why, and what we should be doing in our communities to eradicate these issues. The latest report from the Urban Institute helps us to understand the relationship between urban blight and public health.

 

Neighborhoods overall experience a decline in health and vitality of community when there is blight in the area—whether there are abandoned buildings and/or vacant lots. Rightfully so, community members often stress over the blight because of how their lives are affected. According to the Urban Institute’s report, area residents where blight is occurring have a higher chance of experiencing mental distress, higher rates of chronic illness, and stunted brain and physical development in children, to name a few. Blight directly affects the community’s ability to come together and organize, as people do not feel hope and future in the area, so there is less of a pull to gather. This is not to say that the organization of individuals in a community does not happen successfully in areas experiencing blight, of course.

 

An important aspect of the report is that these health concerns do not just affect the individuals living in blighted houses, but they are impacting the very core of the community. In order for these widespread issues to be addressed, there must be a partnership between community organizers and public health researchers. Community members are integral to revitalization in their areas

 

There is no one simple answer in eradicating housing blight and revitalizing communities—there must be holistic approaches in which various ideas come together. Additionally, there are particular local health impacts for each community, so one “plan” does not work for everyone. Community engagement is key to understanding and tackling the effects of housing blight in all its different forms.

 

For more information, click on the link to the Urban Institutes Research report on urban blight and public health: https://urbn.is/2rux6fP

 

-Eliza Love