Housing for the Environmentally Sensitive
Or Why is my house hurting me?
A growing number of people within our population suffer from an ailment that is an "invisible disability." You cannot tell simply by looking whether or not a person has this disability. The disability can affect a person's ability to breath, go outside the home, sleep soundly or enjoy pain free life. The disability can greatly affect a person's ability to work, seek medical treatment, go to school and in general, interact with society. These people can become ill from breathing, ingesting or absorbing even minute amounts of substances that, apparently, are well tolerated by most people. Depending upon the individual, and the type of exposure, symptoms can last from minutes, to days, to years. The disability can affect many body parts including respiration, motor skills, memory and the central nervous system. This disability may be referred to as Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS), Chemical Sensitivity (CS), Environmental Illness (EI) and/or Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity (EHS). The common thread among these afflictions is that a person's environment is placing substantial limitations on an individual's ability to enjoy major life activities.
For many years the prospect for safe, affordable and non toxic housing was not just expected, but taken for granted in the United States. As time and technology has moved forward, we have changed many of the basic ways that buildings are constructed and the ways that we maintain and use the buildings we have. The advent of plywood, particle board, latex paints, synthetic fibers and other construction materials has led to great efficiencies in construction in the cost of labor, transportation and materials and allowed us to build more houses for the masses at a lower price. We have constructed our homes in such a way that they are very energy efficient by using air tight windows and doors as well as thick blankets of insulation so we can maintain comfortable temperatures year round at a fraction of the cost. In addition lifestyle changes have allowed us to experience many luxuries such as lush green grass through chemical infusion, ease of cleaning through scented heavy duty cleaners and personal care products that make many people look, smell and feel better. We have also enriched our lives with televisions, cell phones, microwave ovens, computers, DVD players and many electrical labor saving devices. All of these improvements have provided an easier more relaxed life for the majority of people. Unfortunately, this option for safe, affordable and non toxic housing has eluded a specific group of people.
Traditional forms of housing are often not tolerable to these persons. Most, due to their disability, do not have the financial resources to have special housing built for them. Many qualify as low income or even very low income families. Current facilities available to low income elderly and disabled people, including government or charitable sponsored housing, homeless shelters and commercially available rent subsidized housing, are not appropriate for habitation by sensitive people due to the methods and materials used in construction, the products and procedures employed in the maintenance of these facilities and the effect on the personal environment caused by fellow residents and nearby neighbors. Often people who do not suffer from these ailments are not sympathetic to the needs of these individuals and are unwilling to make accommodations or changes for these individuals.
Those segments of the population who suffer from these ailments (MCS, CS, EI, or EHS) meet the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) definition of disabled. In addition, MCS is recognized as a disability by various government agencies such as the Social Security Administration and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. People with MCS have won workers compensation cases. The right of an affected person to a safe living space in subsidized housing was established in a Pennsylvania lawsuit (Atkinson v. Lincoln Realty Management Company, 1990).
Our goal is to construct safe, affordable housing for people suffering from Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS), Chemical Sensitivity (CS), Environmental Illness (EI) and/or Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity (EHS). The facility will be a safer haven which could greatly improve the quality of life for many of these individuals. In order to meet the needs of this population, the facilities must be located on land that is in a relatively pollution and smog free area. The facilities must be designed and constructed so that they are inherently odor free, naturally mold, fungus and pest resistant, chemical free with zero out gassing and electrically and electromagnetically stable. A management plan for the facility will include a precise set of rules for the occupants which will govern resident's use of products that could negatively affect the health of their neighbors. And, most important, the facility must be affordable for those who need it.
