2014 – 2018 PROJECTS
Assistant Professor Diana Hernández from Columbia University started the “Beyond Implementation: Evaluating Compliance and Refining Enforcement of Smoke-free Housing Policy in Low-income Multiple Unit Housing Settings Study.” Professor Hernández evaluated compliance of smoke-free policies and effects on residents health in low-income multiple unit housing. Professor Hernández work will inform other larger studies throughout New York City and other cities as public housing nationwide will transition to smoke-free.
Sr. Environmental Scientist J. Kofi Berko will start the study “Developing a Unified Home Assessment Tool”. Dr. Berko will develop a unified home assessment tool that assesses all possible hazards in the home environment. The tool will also evaluate the energy and water use efficiency of the residential unit. Dr. Berko will develop indices that estimate the relative ease of remediating each hazard and the corresponding health impact on the residents. Dr. Berko’s work will greatly help researchers and others interested in assessing, prioritizing and mitigating home hazards.
Professors Chunrong Jia and Diana Hernández also started the research study “Energy, Environment and Health in Affordable Housing Development.” Energy efficiency and indoor environmental quality will be examined in different phases of newly developed/retrofitted affordable residences to measure impacts on energy security and health. This project is expected to build research capacity among a critical group of stakeholders consisting of researchers, architects, community-based practitioners and residents in the low-income housing sector.