75 FR 9609 - Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) Tenant Data Collection: Responses To Advance Solicitation...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-03-03

... comment on methodology for the collection of data on low-income housing tax credit housing, as required by... 36 (to be codified as 42 U.S.C. 1437z-8) that requires each State agency administering tax credits under section 42 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (low-income housing tax credits or LIHTC) to...

The Effectiveness Of Rental Housing Finance For Low-Income Households In Sombo Rental Flats Surabaya

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Annisa Nur Ramadhani

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Fullfilment for the needs of housing is a priority that cannot be suspended especially in urban areas of developing country whose population continues to increase because of the rapid urbanization. Indonesia as the developing country still has a fairly high backlog approximately at 7.6 millions unit house in 2014 most of them are low income people. The Government has several plan in striving for the scarcity of housing. One of them is the development of rental flats which have goals for the social housing fulfillment for low income people and increase their housing affordability by lowering the rental rates. The intention is to assist the low income people save their money to buy their own homes. But in facts there are several constraints related to this rental flats finance such as late payment by the residents uncontroled right transfer and the tariff adjusted to the ability of the inhabitants can not cover the cost of the physical building management and maintanance. This study aims to evaluate Sombo rental flat finance for for low income people in which the data are collected through in depth interview observation and documentation. The results of several qualitatively descriptive analysis show that the effectiveness of rental flat financing in the aspect of the purpose and goal to facilitating low income community needs of housing is quiet accomplished. Beside that the organization is also well structured and have the efficient human resources. But Sombo rental flats effectivenes is relatively low in the aspect of profit ability rental financing program and in the enforcement of rules and regulation. The main problem is in the arrears of residents rental payment and the deficiency for maintanance cost so it has to depend on the city government subsidies. The rental finance constraint are caused by several factors which are historic factors residents factors and the vision and commitment of the city government to facilitate housing for low

Promoting health and advancing development through improved housing in low-income settings

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Haines, A.; Bruce, N.; Cairncross, S.; Davies, M.; Greenland, K.; Hiscox, A.F.; Lindsay, S.; Lindsay, T.; Satterthwaite, D.; Wilkinson, P.

2013-01-01

There is major untapped potential to improve health in low-income communities through improved housing design, fittings, materials and construction. Adverse effects on health from inadequate housing can occur through a range of mechanisms, both direct and indirect, including as a result of extreme

Low income homebuyers, low housing infrastructure quality, and disaster threat (Case study: Landslide in Trangkil Sejahtera and Trangkil Baru Residential Area, Semarang)

Science.gov (United States)

Indrianingrum, Lulut; Andiyarto, Hanggoro Tri Cahyo

2018-03-01

The Housing of Trangkil Sejahtera and Trangkil Baru are two housing areas located in the Village of Sukorejo, Gunungpati District, Semarang Municipality. In 2014, these housing areas were experienced landslide triggered by heavy rains that continued to fall across Semarang for several days. Successive landslides occurred on January 23, 2014 early in the morning until 07.30 am. Seven houses in Trangkil Sejahtera Housing were damaged by landslide, while in Trangkil Baru Housing there were 32 homes that severely damaged. The housing was located in a zone with high degree of susceptibility to landslide and stated as landslide prone areas by the Directorate of Environmental Geology. The objective of this article is to analyze the facts that the low income homebuyers basically do not understand the importance of accessing the information of land, infrastructure quality and specifications of the house. The analysis is conducted by comparing the landslide background and the homebuyer's condition background at the time the housing was purchased. The results showed that people who occupied the housing were victims of evictions and in low-income condition. A low-income homeowner has a low bargaining position in obtaining adequate housing infrastructure quality. Developers did not prepare proper infrastructure system to anticipate landslides and fulfill legal aspects of the real estate development. Low income homeowners should be educated about legal aspect of land purchased as well as their rights when buying a home.

78 FR 16277 - Notice of Submission of Proposed Information Collection to OMB: Low Income Housing Tax Credit...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-03-14

... Proposed Information Collection to OMB: Low Income Housing Tax Credit Database AGENCY: Office of the Chief... codified as 42 U.S.C. 1437z-8) that requires each state agency administering tax credits under section 42 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (low-income housing tax credits or LIHTC) to furnish HUD, not...

Do increases in subsidized housing reduce the incidence of homelessness? Vidence from the low-income housing tax credit

OpenAIRE

Jackson, Osborne; Kawano, Laura

2015-01-01

We examine the impact of subsidized housing on homelessness using the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC), the largest place-based housing program in the United States. To generate quasi-experimental variation in housing placements, we exploit a discontinuous increase in the amount of tax credits available to projects placed in certain high-poverty neighborhoods. Using data from the U.S. Census and HUD, we find that LIHTC project installation has no significant impact on neighborhood homele...

A procedure for analysing energy savings in multiple small solar water heaters installed in low-income housing in Brazil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Giglio, Thalita; Lamberts, Roberto; Barbosa, Miriam; Urbano, Mariana

2014-01-01

Due to government subsidies, Brazil has witnessed an increase in the installation and use of small solar water heating systems in low-income housing projects. Although the initiative has reduced the load curve during peak times due to the reduced use of electric showerheads, measurement and verification (M and V) are needed to validate the savings. M and V procedures should take into account the social and economic variability of low-income housing developments. To improve M and V in low-income housing projects, this paper presents a methodology for identifying homogeneous subgroups based on their energy-saving potential. This research strategy involved a cluster analysis designed to improve the understanding of what energy savers and other influencing factors exist. A case study in Londrina Brazil was undertaken with 200 low-income families. Five clusters, created based on savings potential, were defined. The results showed that only two clusters demonstrated good electricity savings, representing 47% of families. However, two clusters, or 37%, did not provide satisfactory savings, and the other 16% did not provide any consumption history due to previous use of illegal city electricity connection practices. Therefore, studies confirm the need for a detailed measurement of the representative subgroups to assess the influence of human behaviour on potential SWHS-induced savings. - Highlights: • M and V is necessary to improve solar collector-area-based subsidy programmes. • M and V in large-scale sample should contemplate the social and economic variability. • Samples with homogeneous subgroups contribute to a consistent energy-saving M and V. • Solar Water Heaters in some cases may not offer energy saving in a low-income context. • SWH performance decreases with low educational level and difficulty of operation

Dutch social housing sector reforms : Exploring the effects on low income households

NARCIS (Netherlands)

De Groen, A.; Pruyt, E.; Boumeester, H.J.F.M.

2012-01-01

Social rental housing ought to function as safety net for the lower income groups in the housing system. However, the Dutch housing system has a relatively large social housing stock in relation to other housing systems in Europe – larger than would be required for a safety net for lower income

Housing Dependence and Intimate Relationships in the Lives of Low-Income Puerto Rican Mothers

Science.gov (United States)

Clark, Sherri Lawson; Burton, Linda M.; Flippen, Chenoa A.

2011-01-01

Using longitudinal ethnographic data from the Three-City Study, the authors examined the relationship between 16 low-income Puerto Rican mothers' housing dependencies and their intimate partner relations. This study traced mothers' dependent housing arrangements and entree to marital or cohabiting relationships from their teens through their…

Low energy house in existing buildings; Niedrigenergiehaus im Bestand

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sahner, G. [BDA, Stuttgart/Augsburg (Germany)

2008-07-01

Presented is an energetic sanitation of residential units in the frame of a German pilot program (''low energy houses in the existing building sector'') initiated by the ministry of traffic, civil engineering and city development. (GL)

Housing ownership and affordability among low-income society in the poorest sub-district of Semarang, Central Java, Indonesia

Science.gov (United States)

Indrianingrum, Lulut

2017-03-01

The Government has intervened to deal with various affordable public housing programs, as well as financing programs for Low Income society in Indonesia. The characteristics of this society in each region are so diverse, that made the housing programs for this social segment uneasy in reaching the right target. Regulation of Housing and Settlement No. 2/2001 has mandated that the State are obliged to implement a habitable public housing for people, especially for the low income society. The purpose of this study is exploring the low-income residents' preferences and affordability of home ownership for their families in the poorest sub-district of Semarang. Aspects of studies include family conditions, financing, location, housing type and price. The research used a descriptive method to analyze a set of questionnaire data, distributed to low income residents in Sub district Tanjungmas, which isthe poorest sub district in Semarang. The results showed that the respondents developed a vision of home ownership by saving their money for the allocated housing budget and taking a bank installment. They tended to plan to get a house in their current neighborhood or nearby or anywhere else with the same price range. They really understood that, in order to get a better home and neighborhood they have to pay for higher prices. Therefore, their housing criteria or standards were set based on the quality of life in their current residential area, and should be located in a township (kampung).

Income inequality and access to housing in Europe

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dewilde, C.; Lancee, B.

2012-01-01

This paper analyses the relation between income inequality and access to housing for low- income households. Three arguments are developed, explaining how inequality might affect housing affordability, quality and quantity. First, it is the absolute level of resources, not their relative

Income inequality and access to housing in Europe

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dewilde, C.L.; Lancee, B.

2013-01-01

This article analyzes the relationship between income inequality and access to housing for low-income homeowners and renters ‘at market rent’ across Europe. We develop three arguments that explain how inequality affects housing affordability, quality, and quantity—together these dimensions indicate

African-American homeless and low-income housed mothers: comparison of parenting practices.

Science.gov (United States)

Koblinsky, S A; Morgan, K M; Anderson, E A

1997-01-01

The child-rearing practices of homeless and low-income housed mothers of preschool children in Head Start were compared. Overall, homeless mothers provided less learning and academic stimulation, less variety in social and cultural experiences, less warmth and affection, and a less positive physical environment for their children than did housed mothers. Mothers in both living arrangements provided more language stimulation to daughters than to sons. Implications of the findings for working with homeless families are discussed.

24 CFR 1000.108 - How is HUD approval obtained by a recipient for housing for non low-income Indian families and...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... recipient for housing for non low-income Indian families and model activities? 1000.108 Section 1000.108... AMERICAN HOUSING ACTIVITIES Affordable Housing Activities § 1000.108 How is HUD approval obtained by a.... Assistance to non low-income Indian families must be in accordance with § 1000.110. Proposals may be...

HUD Low and Moderate Income Areas

Data.gov (United States)

Department of Housing and Urban Development — This dataset and map service provides information on the U.S. Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) low to moderate income areas. The term Low to Moderate Income,...

Housing, income support and mental health: Points of disconnection

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Csiernik Rick

2007-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract There exists a disconnection between evolving policies in the policy arenas of mental health, housing, and income support in Canada. One of the complexities associated with analysing the intersection of these policies is that federal, provincial, and municipal level policies are involved. Canada is one of the few developed countries without a national mental health policy and because of the federal policy reforms of the 1970s, the provincial governments now oversee the process of deinstitutionalization from the hospital to the community level. During this same period the availability of affordable housing has decreased as responsibility for social housing has been transfered from the federal government to the provincial and/or municipal levels of government. Canada also stands alone in terms of being a developed nation without national housing policy instead what is considered "affordable" housing is partially dependant upon individuals' personal economic resources. As well, over the past decade rates of income supports have also been reduced. Psychiatric survivors have long been identified as being at risk for homelessness, with the disconnection existing between housing, income and mental health policies and the lack of a national policy in any of these policies areas further contributing to this risk.

Impact of Housing and Community Conditions on Multidimensional Health among Middle- and Low-Income Groups in Hong Kong

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Jionghua Wang

2018-05-01

Full Text Available With decades of urbanization, housing and community problems (e.g., poor ventilation and lack of open public spaces have become important social determinants of health that require increasing attention worldwide. Knowledge regarding the link between health and these problems can provide crucial evidence for building healthy communities. However, this link has heretofore not been identified in Hong Kong, and few studies have compared the health impact of housing and community conditions across different income groups. To overcome this gap, we hypothesize that the health impact of housing and community problems may vary across income groups and across health dimensions. We tested these hypotheses using cross-sectional survey data from Hong Kong. Several health outcomes, e.g., chronic diseases and the SF-12 v. 2 mental component summary scores, were correlated with a few types of housing and community problems, while other outcomes, such as the DASS-21–Stress scores, were sensitive to a broader range of problems. The middle- and low-income group was more severely affected by poor built environments. These results can be used to identify significant problems in the local built environment, especially amongst the middle- and low-income group.

Integrating Photovoltaic Systems into Low-Income Housing Developments: A Case Study on the Creation of a New Residential Financing Model and Low-Income Resident Job Training Program, September 2011 (Brochure)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dean, J.; Smith-Dreier, C.; Mekonnen, G.; Hawthorne, W.

2011-09-01

This case study covers the process of successfully integrating photovoltaic (PV) systems into a low-income housing development in northeast Denver, Colorado, focusing specifically on a new financing model and job training. The Northeast Denver Housing Center (NDHC), working in cooperation with Del Norte Neighborhood Development Corporation, Groundwork Denver, and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), was able to finance the PV system installations by blending private equity funding with utility rebates, federal tax credits, and public sector funding. A grant provided by the Governor's Energy Office allowed for the creation of the new financing model. In addition, the program incorporated an innovative low-income job training program and an energy conservation incentive program.

CFD Simulations to Improve Ventilation in Low-Income Housing

Science.gov (United States)

Ho, Rosemond; Gorle, Catherine

2017-11-01

Quality of housing plays an important role in public health. In Dhaka, Bangladesh, the leading causes of death include tuberculosis, lower respiratory infections, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, so improving home ventilation could potentially mitigate these negative health effects. The goal of this project is to use computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to predict the relative effectiveness of different ventilation strategies for Dhaka homes. A Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes CFD model of a standard Dhaka home with apertures of different sizes and locations was developed to predict air exchange rates. Our initial focus is on simulating ventilation driven by buoyancy-alone conditions, which is often considered the limiting case in natural ventilation design. We explore the relationship between ventilation rate and aperture area to determine the most promising configurations for optimal ventilation solutions. Future research will include the modeling of wind-driven conditions, and extensive uncertainty quantification studies to investigate the effect of variability in the layout of homes and neighborhoods, and in local wind and temperature conditions. The ultimate objective is to formulate robust design recommendations that can reduce risks of respiratory illness in low-income housing.

Chemical exposures in recently renovated low-income housing: Influence of building materials and occupant activities.

Science.gov (United States)

Dodson, Robin E; Udesky, Julia O; Colton, Meryl D; McCauley, Martha; Camann, David E; Yau, Alice Y; Adamkiewicz, Gary; Rudel, Ruthann A

2017-12-01

Health disparities in low-income communities may be linked to residential exposures to chemicals infiltrating from the outdoors and characteristics of and sources in the home. Indoor sources comprise those introduced by the occupant as well as releases from building materials. To examine the impact of renovation on indoor pollutants levels and to classify chemicals by predominant indoor sources, we collected indoor air and surface wipes from newly renovated "green" low-income housing units in Boston before and after occupancy. We targeted nearly 100 semivolatile organic compounds (SVOCs) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), including phthalates, flame retardants, fragrance chemicals, pesticides, antimicrobials, petroleum chemicals, chlorinated solvents, and formaldehyde, as well as particulate matter. All homes had indoor air concentrations that exceeded available risk-based screening levels for at least one chemical. We categorized chemicals as primarily influenced by the occupant or as having building-related sources. While building-related chemicals observed in this study may be specific to the particular housing development, occupant-related findings might be generalizable to similar communities. Among 58 detected chemicals, we distinguished 25 as primarily occupant-related, including fragrance chemicals 6-acetyl-1,1,2,4,4,7-hexamethyltetralin (AHTN) and 1,3,4,6,7,8-hexahydro-4,6,6,7,8,8-hexamethylcyclopenta[g]-2-benzopyran (HHCB). The pre- to post-occupancy patterns of the remaining chemicals suggested important contributions from building materials for some, including dibutyl phthalate and xylene, whereas others, such as diethyl phthalate and formaldehyde, appeared to have both building and occupant sources. Chemical classification by source informs multi-level exposure reduction strategies in low-income housing. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Environmental Impacts and Embodied Energy of Construction Methods and Materials in Low-Income Tropical Housing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arman Hashemi

2015-06-01

Full Text Available This paper evaluates the current conditions of Ugandan low-income tropical housing with a focus on construction methods and materials in order to identify the key areas for improvement. Literature review, site visits and photographic surveys are carried out to collect relevant information on prevailing construction methods/materials and on their environmental impacts in rural areas. Low quality, high waste, and energy intensive production methods, as well as excessive soil extraction and deforestation, are identified as the main environmental damage of the current construction methods and materials. The embodied energy is highlighted as the key area which should be addressed to reduce the CO2 emissions of low-income tropical housing. The results indicate that the embodied energy of fired bricks in Uganda is up to 5.7 times more than general clay bricks. Concrete walling is identified as a much more environmentally friendly construction method compared to brick walling in East African countries. Improving fuel efficiency and moulding systems, increasing access to renewable energy sources, raising public awareness, educating local manufacturers and artisans, and gradual long-term introduction of innovative construction methods and materials which are adapted to local needs and conditions are some of the recommended actions to improve the current conditions.

Double jeopardy: assessing the association between internal displacement, housing quality and chronic illness in a low-income neighborhood.

Science.gov (United States)

Habib, Rima R; Yassin, Nasser; Ghanawi, Joly; Haddad, Pascale; Mahfoud, Ziyad

2011-04-01

PURPOSE: This study analyzed associations between war-related internal displacement, housing quality and the prevalence of chronic illness in Nabaa, a low-income neighborhood on the outskirts of Beirut, Lebanon. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey of sociodemographics, household characteristics and health conditions of the study population was carried out in 2002. Using a structured questionnaire, the research team surveyed 1,151 households representing 4,987 residents of all ages. The survey was administered to a proxy respondent from each household in face-to-face interviews. A multiple logistic regression model using the generalized estimation equation method was constructed to assess the simultaneous effect of displacement and housing quality on reported ill health, while adjusting for potential confounders. RESULTS: Housing quality and internal displacement were strongly associated with occurrences of chronic illness. The most vulnerable respondents were older residents, females and internally displaced people, who reported high rates of chronic illnesses. Residents with high levels of education were less likely to report a chronic illness than those that had elementary education or less. CONCLUSION: Nabaa residents' experience of poor health was associated with inadequate housing quality. Moreover, residents who have been displaced experience worse living conditions and were more likely to experience poor health than those who were not displaced. These results reveal a need for policies to improve housing quality and alleviate war-related consequences in low-income neighborhoods.

Qualitative Assessment of Smoke-Free Policy Implementation in Low-Income Housing: Enhancing Resident Compliance.

Science.gov (United States)

Anthony, Jodi; Goldman, Roberta; Rees, Vaughan W; Frounfelker, Rochelle L; Davine, Jessica; Keske, Robyn R; Brooks, Daniel R; Geller, Alan C

2018-01-01

As public housing agencies and other low-income housing providers adopt smoke-free policies, data are needed to inform implementation approaches that support compliance. Focused ethnography used including qualitative interviews with staff, focus groups with residents, and property observations. Four low-income housing properties in Massachusetts, 12 months postpolicy adoption. Individual interviews (n = 17) with property staff (managers, resident service coordinators, maintenance, security, and administrators) and focus groups with resident smokers (n = 28) and nonsmokers (n = 47). Informed by the social-ecological model: intrapersonal, interpersonal, organizational, and community factors relating to compliance were assessed. Utilized MAXQDA in a theory-driven immersion/crystallization analytic process with cycles of raw data examination and pattern identification until no new themes emerged. Self-reported secondhand smoke exposure (SHSe) was reduced but not eliminated. Challenges included relying on ambivalent maintenance staff and residents to report violations, staff serving as both enforcers and smoking cessation counsellors, and inability to enforce on nights and weekends. Erroneous knowledge of the policy, perception that SHSe is not harmful to neighbors, as well as believing that smokers were losing their autonomy and being unfairly singled out when other resident violations were being unaddressed, hindered policy acceptance among resident smokers. The greatest challenge to compliance was the lack of allowable outdoor smoking areas that may have reduced the burden of the policy on smokers. Smoke-free policy implementation to support compliance could be enhanced with information about SHSe for smokers and nonsmokers, cessation support from external community partners, discussion forums for maintenance staff, resident inclusion in decision-making, and framing the policy as part of a broader wellness initiative.

Design and Evaluation of a Net Zero Energy Low-Income Residential Housing Development in Lafayette, Colorado

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dean, J.; VanGeet, O.; Simkus, S.; Eastment, M.

2012-03-01

This report outlines the lessons learned and sub-metered energy performance of an ultra low energy single family ranch home and duplex unit, called the Paradigm Pilot Project and presents the final design recommendations for a 153-unit net zero energy residential development called the Josephine Commons Project. Affordable housing development authorities throughout the United States continually struggle to find the most cost-effective pathway to provide quality, durable, and sustainable housing. The challenge for these authorities is to achieve the mission of delivering affordable housing at the lowest cost per square foot in environments that may be rural, urban, suburban, or within a designated redevelopment district. With the challenges the U.S. faces regarding energy, the environmental impacts of consumer use of fossil fuels and the increased focus on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, housing authorities are pursuing the goal of constructing affordable, energy efficient and sustainable housing at the lowest life-cycle cost of ownership. This report outlines the lessons learned and sub-metered energy performance of an ultra-low-energy single family ranch home and duplex unit, called the Paradigm Pilot Project and presents the final design recommendations for a 153-unit net zero energy residential development called the Josephine Commons Project. In addition to describing the results of the performance monitoring from the pilot project, this paper describes the recommended design process of (1) setting performance goals for energy efficiency and renewable energy on a life-cycle cost basis, (2) using an integrated, whole building design approach, and (3) incorporating systems-built housing, a green jobs training program, and renewable energy technologies into a replicable high performance, low-income housing project development model.

Housing conditions as a social determinant of low birthweight and preterm low birthweight

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mario Vianna Vettore

2010-12-01

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: To assess the relationship between housing conditions and low birthweight and preterm low birthweight among low-income women. METHODS: A case-control study was conducted with post-partum women living in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Southeast Brazil, in 2003-2005. Two groups of cases, low birthweight (n=96 and preterm low birthweight infants (n=68, were compared against normal weight term controls (n=393. Housing conditions were categorized into three levels: adequate, inadequate, and highly inadequate. Covariates included sociodemographic and anthropometric characteristics, risk behaviors, violence, anxiety, satisfaction during pregnancy, obstetric history and prenatal care. RESULTS: Poor housing conditions was independently associated with low birthweight (inadequate - OR 2.3 [1.1;4.6]; highly inadequate - OR 7.6 [2.1;27.6] and preterm low birthweight (inadequate - OR 2.2 [1.1;4.3]; highly inadequate - OR 7.6 [2.4;23.9] and factors associated with outcomes were inadequate prenatal care and previous preterm birth. Low income and low maternal body mass index remained associated with low birthweight. CONCLUSIONS: Poor housing conditions were associated with low birthweight and preterm low birthweight.

Examining mindfulness-based stress reduction: Perceptions from minority older adults residing in a low-income housing facility

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Connolly Amy B

2011-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR programs are becoming increasingly common, but have not been studied in low income minority older populations. We sought to understand which parts of MBSR were most important to practicing MBSR members of this population, and to understand whether they apply their training to daily challenges. Methods We conducted three focus groups with 13 current members of an MBSR program. Participants were African American women over the age of 60 in a low-income housing residence. We tape recorded each session and subsequently used inductive content analysis to identify primary themes. Results and discussion Analysis of the focus group responses revealed three primary themes stress management, applying mindfulness, and the social support of the group meditation. The stressors they cited using MBSR with included growing older with physical pain, medical tests, financial strain, and having grandchildren with significant mental, physical, financial or legal hardships. We found that participants particularly used their MBSR training for coping with medical procedures, and managing both depression and anger. Conclusion A reflective stationary intervention delivered in-residence could be an ideal mechanism to decrease stress in low-income older adult's lives and improve their health.

Eccentric housing finance sources by the urban poor in Zimbabwe: case of Cowdray Park low-income self help housing scheme in Bulawayo

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Trynos GUMBO

2010-06-01

Full Text Available Zimbabwe has a sombre housing crisis in all its urban centres. All attempts by the government to vary housing delivery systems to ameliorate the problem have proved futile as the backlog it inherited from the colonial masters continues to soar. The situation has however been exacerbated by 2005 demolitions and evictions in the country’s major cities that destroyed homes and businesses leaving the majority of the poor and disadvantaged segments of society in deeper poverty, deprivation and destitution. The main challenge to housing the urban poor is housing finance. Public funds are meagre and private funds are not accessible to the poor due to lack of collateral security and inability to service the loans. Fascinatingly, the poor’s income comes from informal sector activities that absorbs a large percentage of the labour force and keeps the economy going while the large modern enterprises continue to reel under the economic downturn. Unfortunately the Zimbabwean informal sector has generally been perceived as a nuisance, a haven for criminals and a menace. Evidence shows that there is a strong relationship between the urban poor’s housing finance, informal sector activities and self-help housing strategies in Zimbabwe. In the pre-2005 Operation Murambatsvina era, the poor were making some construction progress as evidenced by the structures that had developed. This paper calls for active support and facilitation of the poor’s sources of income, and advocates for the involvement of other players such as the private sector and the international community in housing the poor. The Zimbabwe government’s plan to house the homeless and poor on its 250 000 stands countrywide through self-help programmes can only be successful if their sources of income are promoted and facilitated.

Pathways between acculturation and health behaviors among residents of low-income housing: the mediating role of social and contextual factors.

Science.gov (United States)

Allen, Jennifer Dacey; Caspi, Caitlin; Yang, May; Leyva, Bryan; Stoddard, Anne M; Tamers, Sara; Tucker-Seeley, Reginald D; Sorensen, Glorian C

2014-12-01

Acculturation may influence health behaviors, yet mechanisms underlying its effect are not well understood. In this study, we describe relationships between acculturation and health behaviors among low-income housing residents, and examine whether these relationships are mediated by social and contextual factors. Residents of 20 low-income housing sites in the Boston metropolitan area completed surveys that assessed acculturative characteristics, social/contextual factors, and health behaviors. A composite acculturation scale was developed using latent class analysis, resulting in four distinct acculturative groups. Path analysis was used to examine interrelationships between acculturation, health behaviors, and social/contextual factors, specifically self-reported social ties, social support, stress, material hardship, and discrimination. Of the 828 respondents, 69% were born outside of the U.S. Less acculturated groups exhibited healthier dietary practices and were less likely to smoke than more acculturated groups. Acculturation had a direct effect on diet and smoking, but not physical activity. Acculturation also showed an indirect effect on diet through its relationship with material hardship. Our finding that material hardship mediated the relationship between acculturation and diet suggests the need to explicate the significant role of financial resources in interventions seeking to promote healthy diets among low-income immigrant groups. Future research should examine these social and contextual mediators using larger, population-based samples, preferably with longitudinal data. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Inclusive Development through Providing Vertical Housing for Low Income Family in Yogyakarta Urban Areas

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Rini Rachmawati

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Inclusive development is mean to accommodate the marginalized people, most of whom are the poor with problem of fulfilling their need of housing. The government has tried hard to meet the need of housing by constructing rusunawa. This paper is aimed at describing about the provision and uses of rusunawa, both in cities and peri urban area by studying the cases in the City of Yogyakarta, Sleman Regency, and Bantul Regency. The study was conducted by doing observation and both structured and in-depth interviews. The research results show that rusunawa was viewed as one solutions to help low-income family in fulfilling their need of housing. In some cases in the City of Yogyakarta, rusunawa plays an important role in preventing the settlement along both sides of rivers from becoming slum areas. Rusunawa in both Regencies of Sleman and Bantul are located near the city so it is easy for the settlers to get to their workplace. The construction of rusunawa has also paid attention to the disabled by providing special facilities. The same case is providing playground for children and facilities for early education for young kids. However, there have not been special facilities for the elderly and pregnant women.

Why Don't Housing Choice Voucher Recipients Live Near Better Schools? Insights from Big Data

Science.gov (United States)

Ellen, Ingrid Gould; Horn, Keren Mertens; Schwartz, Amy Ellen

2016-01-01

Housing choice vouchers provide low-income households with additional income to spend on rental housing in the private market. The assistance vouchers provide is substantial, offering the potential to dramatically expand the neighborhood--and associated public schools--that low-income households can reach. However, existing research on the program…

City Size, Housing Price and Resident Income Gap

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

FAN Hong-zhong; ZHANG Ting; LI Ming-liang

2014-01-01

Taking the urban population size and urban housing price as the proxy variable of city size,this paper conducts an empirical analysis with the data of CHIPS 2002 and 2008.It is found that the rising of city size and housing prices has important promotion effects on income inequality of city residents.The main reason is that the wage of migrant workers is separated from the housing price of the cities in which they reside;while their wage level can balance the wage level of the ordinary workers of city residents,making it separate from the urban housing price.But the wage of high quality worker of city residents is closely connected with the housing price.The combined action of the multy sizes in China's urban labor market leads to such a result that the greater the size of cities,the higher the urban housing prices,and the larger the income gap between urban residents.This means that in the construction of the new urbanization,to limit the over-expansion of such mega-cities as Beijing,Shanghai and so on and to develop the middle and small cities is an effective way to narrow the income gap between urban residents in China.

Perceptional and socio-economic factors in adoption of low energy houses

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mahapatra, Krushna; Nair, Gireesh; Gustavsson, Leif [Ecotechnology, Mid Sweden Univ., Oestersund (Sweden)

2009-07-01

Diffusion of low energy houses reduces greenhouse emission from residential sector. However, adoption of such houses depends on the perception of the potential buyers. In this paper we have analyzed Swedish homeowners' perception of low energy houses. Data was collected in 2008 from a mail-in questionnaire survey of about 3000 owners of detached houses. Results showed that about 39% of respondents, especially young, educated or whose household income was high, would consider buying a low energy house. Majority of the respondents agreed that a low energy house in comparison to a conventional house has lower operating energy cost, but higher investment cost. Majority thought that low energy houses do not have lower resale value, lower aesthetic appearance, or greater operational difficulty

The relationship between diet and perceived and objective access to supermarkets among low-income housing residents

Science.gov (United States)

Caspi, Caitlin E.; Kawachi, Ichiro; Subramanian, S.V.; Adamkiewicz, Gary; Sorensen, Glorian

2013-01-01

In the U.S., supermarkets serve as an important source of year-round produce (Chung & Myers, 1999), and yet access to supermarkets may be scarce in “food deserts,” or poor, urban areas that lack sources of healthy, affordable food (Cummins & Macintyre, 2002). This study examined objective distance to the nearest supermarket and participant-report of supermarket access in relation to fruit and vegetable intake. Street-network distance to the closest supermarket was calculated using GIS mapping. Perceived access was assessed by a survey question asking whether participants had a supermarket within walking distance of home. Cross-sectional survey data were collected from 828 low-income housing residents in three urban areas in greater-Boston. Generalized estimating equations were used to estimate the association between perceived and objective supermarket access and diet. Fruit and vegetable consumption was low (2.63 servings/day). Results suggest that most low-income housing residents in greater-Boston do not live in “food deserts,” as the average distance to a supermarket was 0.76 km (range 0.13–1.22 km). Distance to a supermarket was not associated with fruit and vegetable intake (p = 0.22). Perceived supermarket access was strongly associated with increased fruit and vegetable intake (0.5 servings/day) after controlling for socio-demographic covariates (p supermarket within walking distance from home despite the objective presence of a supermarket within 1 km consumed significantly fewer fruits and vegetables (0.56 servings/day) than those with a supermarket who reported one, even after controlling for socio-demographic variables (p = 0.0008). Perceived measures of the food environment may be more strongly related to dietary behaviors than objective ones, and may incorporate components of food access not captured in objective measures. PMID:22727742

24 CFR 1000.110 - Under what conditions may non low-income Indian families participate in the program?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 4 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Under what conditions may non low-income Indian families participate in the program? 1000.110 Section 1000.110 Housing and Urban... ACTIVITIES Affordable Housing Activities § 1000.110 Under what conditions may non low-income Indian families...

Housing, income inequality and child injury mortality in Europe: a cross-sectional study.

Science.gov (United States)

Sengoelge, M; Hasselberg, M; Ormandy, D; Laflamme, L

2014-03-01

Child poverty rates are compared throughout Europe to monitor how countries are caring for their children. Child poverty reduction measures need to consider the importance of safe living environments for all children. In this study we investigate how European country-level economic disparity and housing conditions relate to one another, and whether they differentially correlate with child injury mortality. We used an ecological, cross-sectional study design of 26 European countries of which 20 high-income and 6 upper-middle-income. Compositional characteristics of the home and its surroundings were extracted from the 2006 European Union Income Social Inclusion and Living Conditions Database (n = 203,000). Mortality data of children aged 1-14 years were derived from the World Health Organization Mortality Database. The main outcome measure was age standardized cause-specific injury mortality rates analysed by income inequality and housing and neighbourhood conditions. Nine measures of housing and neighbourhood conditions highly differentiating European households at country level were clustered into three dimensions, labelled respectively housing, neighbourhood and economic household strain. Income inequality significantly and positively correlated with housing strain (r = 0.62, P = 0.001) and household economic strain (r = 0.42, P = 0.009) but not significantly with neighbourhood strain (r = 0.34, P = 0.087). Child injury mortality rates correlated strongly with both country-level income inequality and housing strain, with very small age-specific differences. In the European context housing, neighbourhood and household economic strains worsened with increasing levels of income inequality. Child injury mortality rates are strongly and positively associated with both income inequality and housing strain, suggesting that housing material conditions could play a role in the association between income inequality and child health. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Occupant satisfaction with new low-energy houses

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Knudsen, Henrik Nellemose; Jensen, Ole Michael; Kristensen, Lars

2012-01-01

The development and the erection of low-energy buildings have been intensified in recent years. Still, there are only few studies of the energy performance and occupant satisfaction with living in low-energy houses. A questionnaire survey was therefore carried out among occupants of low-energy ho......The development and the erection of low-energy buildings have been intensified in recent years. Still, there are only few studies of the energy performance and occupant satisfaction with living in low-energy houses. A questionnaire survey was therefore carried out among occupants of low......-energy houses. The purpose was to study occupant satisfaction with new low-energy houses concerning i.a. the perceived indoor climate and the technical installations for heating and ventilation. The survey showed an overall satisfaction with the new low-energy houses, but also that there were problems...... occupant satisfaction in existing and future low-energy houses are given....

Exploring identity and aging: auto-photography and narratives of low income older adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Kohon, Jacklyn; Carder, Paula

2014-08-01

This study focused on meanings of health, housing, independence and aging among low-income adults age 55 and older who live in, or are on a waiting list for, publicly subsidized rental housing. The purpose was to learn how low-income older adults perceive their independence and health, and how their place of residence contributes to these perceptions, as well as related perceptions of self. Qualitative data were collected using in-person narrative interviews with 45 individuals and a second photo elicitation interview with 31 of these persons. Themes describe how disrupted identities influence subjective thoughts about the aging process, housing, health, and finances, the process of clinicalization, and place identities. These findings highlight the relationship between housing status, dignity, and shifting identities as older adults experience the aging process in a low-income context. This study expands the current scholarship on the relationship between environment and aging as well as our understanding of poverty among older persons. These topics are relevant for new policies and programs to support the aging in place of older persons in subsidized housing. Understanding the life worlds of those who live in or have applied to this form of housing will be instrumental in developing such strategies. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

ANALYSIS OF CLIMATIC AND SOCIAL PERFORMANCES OF LOW COST TERRACE HOUSING (LCTH: INTRODUCING THE AFFORDABLE QUALITY HOUSING (AQH CONCEPT IN MALAYSIA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Noor Hanita Abdul Majid

2009-03-01

Full Text Available Low cost terrace housing (LCTH is the most common form and popular typology of public housing in Malaysia. The provision of the houses is deemed to be the most suitable to fulfil the needs to house low income families, and also as an alternative to high rise low cost housing. Since the implementation of these housing types, development on the layout and sizes of the house has taken place to provide for better living conditions. Literature review on the current LCTH suggested that there are deficiencies in fulfilling the requirements to provide quality and affordable housing for the low income families. This paper presents the scenario of the LCTH design based on secondary findings by researchers on housing in Malaysia. The secondary data provided the grounds for the proposal of affordable and quality housing (AQH to handle the problems that occurred at the LCTH. Both social and climatic considerations are included in the AQH, addressing issues on privacy, segregation of genders and community interaction; along with thermal comfort and natural ventilation. Decisions on the AQH are carefully extracted from a comparison analysis in the view to improve the current conditions. In order to verify some of the decisions on climatic design strategies, simulation results are presented. The results indicated that the design decisions have managed to improve on the natural ventilation conditions at the low cost houses. With reservations on the social conditions that are yet to be tested at the actual houses, the AQH has proven to be a step forward towards the provision of a better living environment.

Unlocking Solar for Low- and Moderate-Income Residents: A Matrix of Financing Options by Resident, Provider, and Housing Type

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cook, Jeffrey J. [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Bird, Lori A. [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

2018-01-02

Historically the low and moderate income (LMI) market has been underserved by solar photovoltaics (PV), in part due to the unique barriers LMI residents face to participation in the PV market. The intent of this report is to identify the most promising strategies state policymakers might consider to finance PV for LMI customers across three housing types: single family, multi-family, and manufactured housing. The result is a financing matrix that documents the first and second tier financing options states may consider for each housing type. The first tier options were selected based upon their potential impact on LMI PV deployment. Second tier financing approaches could also be used to achieve state policy goals, but may not have as much effect on the relevant LMI market segment. Nevertheless, each financing option comes with tradeoffs that state policymakers may wish to consider when they make decisions about which financing approaches are best suited to achieve their LMI PV deployment goals.

Trends in Early Prenatal Care Among Women with Pre-Existing Diabetes: Have Income Disparities Changed?

Science.gov (United States)

Breathett, Khadijah; Filley, Jessica; Pandey, Madhaba; Rai, Nayanjot; Peterson, Pamela N

2018-01-01

Women with pre-existing diabetes are at high maternal risk for comorbidities and death, particularly when early prenatal care is not received. Low income is a known barrier to early prenatal care. It is unknown whether recent policies to expand access to prenatal care have reduced income disparities. We hypothesized that income disparities would be minimized and that the odds of receipt of first trimester prenatal care among women with pre-existing diabetes would become similar across income strata over time. Using the Colorado birth certificate registry from 2007 to 2014, receipt of prenatal care was assessed retrospectively in 2,497 women with pre-existing diabetes. Logistic regression was used to examine the association between high (>$50,000), medium ($25,000-50,000), and low (prenatal care by birth year, adjusted for demographics. High, medium, and low income represented 29.5%, 19.0%, and 51.5% of the cohort, respectively. Women with high income were more likely to receive first trimester care than women with low income from 2007 [adjusted odds ratio, 95% confidence interval: 2.16 (1.18, 3.96)] through 2013 [1.66 (1.01, 2.73)], but significant differences were no longer observed in 2014 [1.59 (0.89, 2.84)]. The likelihood of receiving first trimester prenatal care was not significantly different between medium- and low-income strata from 2007 [1.07 (0.66, 1.74)] through 2014 [0.77 (0.48, 1.23)]. From 2007 to 2013, women in Colorado with diabetes were more likely to receive early prenatal care if they were in the highest income stratum than in the lowest stratum. In 2014, receipt of first trimester care became equitable across all income strata. Future work should examine national patterns of income with receipt of prenatal care and outcomes among women with pre-existing diabetes.

Long-term housing subsidies and SSI/SSDI income: Creating health-promoting contexts for families experiencing housing instability with disabilities.

Science.gov (United States)

Glendening, Zachary S; McCauley, Erin; Shinn, Marybeth; Brown, Scott R

2018-04-01

Though disability and housing instability are discussed separately in public health literature, few studies address families at their intersection. As a result, little is known about families who experience both homelessness and disability, how many receive disability benefits like SSI and SSDI, or the influence of those benefits on health-promoting outcomes like housing stability and self-sufficiency. Moreover, no previous research compares the ability of different housing and service interventions to increase disability benefit access. We examine relationships between disabilities and SSI/SSDI income reported when families enter emergency shelters and later health-promoting outcomes (housing stability and self-sufficiency) and how housing interventions affect SSI/SSDI receipt. Families in the (name removed) Study (N = 1857) were interviewed in emergency shelters, randomly offered of one of three housing interventions or usual care (i.e., no immediate referral to any intervention beyond shelter), and re-interviewed 20 months later. A third of families reported a disability at shelter entry. SSI/SSDI coverage of these families increased nearly 10% points over 20 months but never exceeded 40%. Disabilities predicted greater housing instability, food insecurity, and economic stress and less work and income. Among families reporting disabilities, SSI/SSDI receipt predicted fewer returns to emergency shelter, and more income despite less work. Offers of long-term housing subsidies increased SSI/SSDI receipt. Many families experiencing homelessness have disabilities; those receiving SSI/SSDI benefits have better housing and income outcomes. Providing families experiencing homelessness with long-term housing subsidies and SSI/SSDI could improve public health. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Differential Health and Social Needs of Older Adults Waitlisted for Public Housing or Housing Choice Vouchers.

Science.gov (United States)

Carder, Paula; Luhr, Gretchen; Kohon, Jacklyn

2016-01-01

Affordable housing is an important form of income security for low-income older persons. This article describes characteristics of older persons waitlisted for either public housing or a housing choice voucher (HCV; previously Section 8) in Portland, Oregon. 358 persons (32% response rate) completed a mailed survey with questions about demographics, health and housing status, food insecurity, and preference for housing with services. Findings indicate that many waitlisted older persons experienced homelessness or housing instability, poor health, high hospital use, and food insecurity. Public housing applicants were significantly more likely to report lower incomes, homelessness, and food insecurity than HCV applicants. We conclude with policy implications for housing and health agencies that serve low-income older persons.

Perceived spatial stigma, body mass index and blood pressure: a global positioning system study among low-income housing residents in New York City

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dustin T. Duncan

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Previous research has highlighted the salience of spatial stigma on the lives of low-income residents, but has been theoretical in nature and/or has predominantly utilised qualitative methods with limited generalisability and ability to draw associations between spatial stigma and measured cardiovascular health outcomes. The primary objective of this study was to evaluate relationships between perceived spatial stigma, body mass index (BMI, and blood pressure among a sample of low-income housing residents in New York City (NYC. Data come from the community-based NYC Low-income Housing, Neighborhoods and Health Study. We completed a crosssectional analysis with survey data, which included the four items on spatial stigma, as well objectively measured BMI and blood pressure data (analytic n=116; 96.7% of the total sample. Global positioning systems (GPS tracking of the sample was conducted for a week. In multivariable models (controlling for individual-level age, gender, race/ethnicity, education level, employment status, total household income, neighborhood percent non-Hispanic Black and neighborhood median household income we found that participants who reported living in an area with a bad neighborhood reputation had higher BMI (B=4.2, 95%CI: -0.01, 8.3, P=0.051, as well as higher systolic blood pressure (B=13.2, 95%CI: 3.2, 23.1, P=0.01 and diastolic blood pressure (B=8.5, 95%CI: 2.8, 14.3, P=0.004. In addition, participants who reported living in an area with a bad neighborhood reputation had increased risk of obesity/overweight [relative risk (RR=1.32, 95%CI: 1.1, 1.4, P=0.02 and hypertension/pre-hypertension (RR=1.66, 95%CI: 1.2, 2.4, P=0.007. However, we found no differences in spatial mobility (based GPS data among participants who reported living in neighborhoods with and without spatial stigma (P>0.05. Further research is needed to investigate how placebased stigma may be associated with impaired cardiovascular health among individuals

Correlates of housing affordability stress among older Australians.

Science.gov (United States)

Temple, Jeromey B

2008-03-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence and correlates of housing affordability stress among community-dwelling older Australians. The 2002 ABS General Social Survey was used to measure the prevalence of housing affordability stress. Rare event logistic regression was used to measure the potential correlates of housing affordability stress. Almost 5% of Australians aged 55 years and older, and 20% of those younger than 55 years, are estimated to experience housing affordability stress. Men and women living alone are more likely to experience affordability stress when compared to couples. Low-income earners, those with a consumer debt or who do not hold assets, are at a heightened risk of such stress. Home ownership, regardless of income, is the strongest buffer against housing affordability problems in old age. Although the prevalence of housing affordability stress is low among older Australians when compared to the younger population, a definite social gradient exists in those at risk.

Perspectives on implementing energy efficiency in existing Swedish detached houses

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Joelsson, Anna; Gustavsson, Leif [Ecotechnology, Department of Engineering, Physics and Mathematics, Mid Sweden University, SE-831 25 Oestersund (Sweden)

2008-01-15

In this study, we first analyse energy-efficiency measures in existing electrically heated houses in Sweden from a societal economic perspective. Measures to a house envelopes and to energy supply chains are evaluated through a system analysis approach and we include the external costs of climate change and the effect of different Swedish climatic zones. We find that in a typical house from the 1970s, conversion from electric heating is highly motivated since the mitigation cost of conversion is lower than the estimated external costs of emitted CO{sub 2}. Both conversions and house envelope measures are more motivated in the northern part of the country, where there is a higher heat demand. A successful implementation of changes requires them to be attractive for consumers to adopt. We therefore secondly analyse the economic conditions for Swedish house owners to implement societal economic cost-efficient measures. We include the economic influence of an investment subsidy for heating system conversion, an income tax deduction for changing windows, customer electricity tax, real estate tax and of the cost of purchased energy from different energy suppliers. Apart from the economics, several other factors affect a house owner's decision to change heating systems. We therefore thirdly analyse house owners' perceptions of different heating supply alternatives based on the results of two comprehensive questionnaires. These different perspectives are combined in a discussion whether the studied policy instruments encourage house owners to implement changes in accordance with the energy-efficiency goals of decision makers. We find that the investment subsidy could be useful to break the lock-in effect of resistance heaters, which house owners seemed to experience. The electricity tax makes heating systems in line with national goals more competitive and efficiency measures to the house envelope more profitable. The reduction of the electricity tax in the northern part

Perspectives on implementing energy efficiency in existing Swedish detached houses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Joelsson, Anna; Gustavsson, Leif

2008-01-01

In this study, we first analyse energy-efficiency measures in existing electrically heated houses in Sweden from a societal economic perspective. Measures to a house envelopes and to energy supply chains are evaluated through a system analysis approach and we include the external costs of climate change and the effect of different Swedish climatic zones. We find that in a typical house from the 1970s, conversion from electric heating is highly motivated since the mitigation cost of conversion is lower than the estimated external costs of emitted CO 2 . Both conversions and house envelope measures are more motivated in the northern part of the country, where there is a higher heat demand. A successful implementation of changes requires them to be attractive for consumers to adopt. We therefore secondly analyse the economic conditions for Swedish house owners to implement societal economic cost-efficient measures. We include the economic influence of an investment subsidy for heating system conversion, an income tax deduction for changing windows, customer electricity tax, real estate tax and of the cost of purchased energy from different energy suppliers. Apart from the economics, several other factors affect a house owner's decision to change heating systems. We therefore thirdly analyse house owners' perceptions of different heating supply alternatives based on the results of two comprehensive questionnaires. These different perspectives are combined in a discussion whether the studied policy instruments encourage house owners to implement changes in accordance with the energy-efficiency goals of decision makers. We find that the investment subsidy could be useful to break the lock-in effect of resistance heaters, which house owners seemed to experience. The electricity tax makes heating systems in line with national goals more competitive and efficiency measures to the house envelope more profitable. The reduction of the electricity tax in the northern part of

Assisted Housing - Public Housing Authorities - National Geospatial Data Asset (NGDA)

Data.gov (United States)

Department of Housing and Urban Development — Public Housing was established to provide decent and safe rental housing for eligible low-income families, the elderly, and persons with disabilities. Public housing...

The Effects of Roof and Wall Insulation on the Energy Costs of Low Income Housing in Mexico

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jorge Lucero-Álvarez

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Environmental conditions, such as air temperature and solar radiation, have a complex relationship with the energy requirements for heating and cooling of residential buildings. In this work, a comparative analysis of the insulation methods most commonly applied to low income single-family houses in Mexico is presented, in order to find the most energy-efficient combinations of methods for the various climates in this country. A common kind of building, small houses built with hollow cinder block walls and concrete slab roofs, was analyzed considering three insulation scenarios: walls only, roof only and both. We used dynamic simulation to evaluate energy consumption under the climate conditions found in several Mexican cities. From the energy consumption data and the cost of electricity in Mexico, we calculated net annual energy costs, including both annual energy savings and the annualized cost of the initial investment in better insulation. Results of this analysis show that insulating both roof and walls is most effective in cities with cold winters; insulating just the roof is best for temperate climates; and insulating walls (combined with high-albedo roofs is most effective for cities with year-long warm weather.

Priorities of low-income urban residents for interventions to address the socio-economic determinants of health.

Science.gov (United States)

Danis, Marion; Kotwani, Namrata; Garrett, Joanne; Rivera, Ivonne; Davies-Cole, John; Carter-Nolan, Pamela

2010-11-01

To determine the priorities of low-income urban residents for interventions that address the socio-economic determinants of health. We selected and estimated the cost of 16 interventions related to education, housing, nutrition, employment, health care, healthy behavior, neighborhood improvement, and transportation. Low-income residents of Washington, D.C. (N=431) participated in decision exercises to prioritize these interventions. Given a budget valued at approximately twice an estimated cost of medical and dental care ($885), the interventions ultimately prioritized by the greatest percentage of individuals were: health insurance (95%), housing vouchers (82%) dental care (82%), job training (72%), adult education (63%), counseling (68%), healthy behavior incentives (68%), and job placement (67%). The percentages of respondents who received support for housing, adult education, and job training and placement were far less than the percentage who prioritized these interventions. Poor and low-income residents' priorities may usefully inform allocation of social services that affect health.

Food Stress in Adelaide: The Relationship between Low Income and the Affordability of Healthy Food

OpenAIRE

Paul R. Ward; Fiona Verity; Patricia Carter; George Tsourtos; John Coveney; Kwan Chui Wong

2013-01-01

Healthy food is becoming increasingly expensive, and families on low incomes face a difficult financial struggle to afford healthy food. When food costs are considered, families on low incomes often face circumstances of poverty. Housing, utilities, health care, and transport are somewhat fixed in cost; however food is more flexible in cost and therefore is often compromised with less healthy, cheaper food, presenting an opportunity for families on low incomes to cut costs. Using a “Healthy ...

Household energy and climate mitigation policies: Investigating energy practices in the housing sector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schaffrin, André; Reibling, Nadine

2015-01-01

One central aim of climate change mitigation in the European Union is to reduce energy consumption in the housing sector. In order to ensure effectiveness of policies targeting household energy conservation, it is important to investigate existing energy practices of different social groups. This article describes and explains energy practices in three leading states in environmental politics, technological innovation, and support for renewable energy production: Denmark, Austria, and the United Kingdom. Based on a longitudinal analysis of housing utility costs from the European Community Statistics on Income and Living Conditions we show that income plays a central role in households' energy practices. While high-income households have higher overall energy consumption, low-income groups spend a larger share of their income on utility costs. The variation of energy consumption across income groups is related to household characteristics, characteristics of the dwellings, and cross-national differences in the housing sector. - Highlights: • We explain energy practices in Denmark, Austria, and the United Kingdom. • We show that income plays a central role in households’ energy practices. • High-income households have higher overall energy consumption. • Low-income groups spend a larger share of their income on utility costs. • Consumption depends on the household, dwelling and the housing sector

Low hanging fruit? Regulations and energy efficiency in subsidized multifamily housing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reina, Vincent J.; Kontokosta, Constantine

2017-01-01

The U.S. government has invested in multifamily housing through an array of subsidized housing programs. These programs provide a venue for understanding how regulations governing multifamily housing can affect an owner's incentive to make energy efficient investments, and a tenant's desire to reduce their energy consumption levels. This paper empirically tests the impact of subsidized housing regulations on the energy efficiency of multi-family housing for low-income households. We begin by constructing a unique database that integrates actual energy use with physical, socioeconomic, and regulatory characteristics of all large multifamily properties in New York City, focusing on whether a property receives a federal rental subsidy. We employ multivariate regression models to examine the factors that influence energy consumption in multi-family buildings and compare subsidized housing to market-rate housing, controlling for a range of building and household characteristics. We find that subsidized properties are associated with higher energy consumption than similar market-rate properties and, of the subsidized housing programs, Public Housing tends to consume the most energy. Our results suggest that despite the potential for retrofitting multifamily properties, and associated cost, energy, and carbon emissions savings, regulatory factors constrain investment and consumption decisions in the case of subsidized properties. Reducing energy use in subsidized housing, therefore, rests on modifying existing regulations. - Highlights: • Developed a framework for why regulations affect utility consumption incentives. • Created and employed a dataset of actual energy use for all large properties in NYC. • Found that subsidized properties are associated with higher utility consumption. • Find that Public Housing tends to consume the most energy of the subsidy programs. • Find that regulatory factors affect investment and consumption decisions.

Food (In)Security in Rapidly Urbanising, Low-Income Contexts.

Science.gov (United States)

Tacoli, Cecilia

2017-12-11

Urbanisation in low and middle-income nations presents both opportunities and immense challenges. As urban centres grow rapidly, inadequate housing and the lack of basic infrastructure and services affect a large and growing proportion of their population. There is also a growing body of evidence on urban poverty and its links with environmental hazards. There is, however, limited knowledge of how these challenges affect the ways in which poor urban residents gain access to food and secure healthy and nutritious diets. With some important exceptions, current discussions on food security continue to focus on production, with limited attention to consumption. Moreover, urban consumers are typically treated as a homogenous group and access to food markets is assumed to be sufficient. This paper describes how, for the urban poor in low and middle-income countries, food affordability and utilisation are shaped by the income and non-income dimensions of poverty that include the urban space.

Food (InSecurity in Rapidly Urbanising, Low-Income Contexts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cecilia Tacoli

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Urbanisation in low and middle-income nations presents both opportunities and immense challenges. As urban centres grow rapidly, inadequate housing and the lack of basic infrastructure and services affect a large and growing proportion of their population. There is also a growing body of evidence on urban poverty and its links with environmental hazards. There is, however, limited knowledge of how these challenges affect the ways in which poor urban residents gain access to food and secure healthy and nutritious diets. With some important exceptions, current discussions on food security continue to focus on production, with limited attention to consumption. Moreover, urban consumers are typically treated as a homogenous group and access to food markets is assumed to be sufficient. This paper describes how, for the urban poor in low and middle-income countries, food affordability and utilisation are shaped by the income and non-income dimensions of poverty that include the urban space.

Does a low-income urban population practise healthy dietary habits?

Science.gov (United States)

Azizan, Nurul Ain; Thangiah, Nithiah; Su, Tin Tin; Majid, Hazreen Abdul

2018-03-01

The purpose of this study was to identify the unhealthy dietary habits and practices in a low-income community in an urban area and determine the associated factors. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in a low-income housing area in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Data were collected using a questionnaire via face-to-face interviews by trained enumerators in order to obtain details on sociodemographic characteristics and dietary practices. Descriptive statistics showed that 86.7% of the respondents in the low-income community consumed fruit and vegetables less than five times per day, 11.7% consumed carbonated and sweetened drinks more than twice per day and about 25% consumed fast food more than four times per month. In total, 65.2% (n=945) did not have healthy dietary practices. Binary logistic regression showed that age, education and ethnicity were significant predictors of unhealthy dietary practices among the low-income community. Those in the 30-59 years age group had higher odds (odds ratio 1.65, p=0.04) of practising an unhealthy diet as compared with those older than 60 years of age. Unhealthy dietary practices were found to be common among the low-income group living in an urban area. Healthy lifestyle intervention should be highlighted so that it can be adopted in the low-income group.

Low-Income Community Solar: Utility Return Considerations for Electric Cooperatives

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aznar, Alexandra Y [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Gagne, Douglas A [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

2018-04-05

The objective of this short report is to identify project structures that make low-income community solar projects more cost-effective, replicable, and scalable, for electric cooperative and municipal utilities. This report explores the tradeoffs between providing energy bill savings for low-income subscribers and utility project returns, as well as some of the key lessons learned from existing successful low-income community solar pilot projects.

Social Determinants of Health: Housing and Income.

Science.gov (United States)

Forchuk, Cheryl; Dickins, Kevin; Corring, Deborah J

2016-01-01

Social determinants of health such as housing and income have a large impact on mental health. Community-based initiatives have worked to address access to housing, prevent homelessness and assist people who are homeless with mental health problems. There have been several large research projects to tease out multiple subgroups such as youth and veterans and other individuals experiencing long-term homelessness. The issue of poverty has been addressed by exploring issues related to employment. The use of social enterprises is a promising practice to address issues around poverty, social inclusion and employment. Similarly, the community has worked to move hospital-based employment programs to the community.

The bishops and housing.

Science.gov (United States)

Shellabarger, Thomas

2005-01-01

According to Catholic social teaching, housing is not a commodity but a human right. To ensure that all people--especially low-income elderly and other vulnerable populations--have access to affordable housing, the church has established a variety of programs, services, and advocacy efforts. Much of this work is based on key concepts: preserving existing housing stock, creating new programs to provide more options for the underserved, empowering residents and communities to deal with housing issues, establishing partnerships to make organizations' efforts more successful, making housing affordable, and ending discrimination in housing. Although church ministries, community groups, the private sector, and other players must work together to find solutions to the housing crisis, federal leadership is essential. Especially with the housing affordability gap growing and the U.S. population aging, the federal government must provide the resources, leadership, and direction for effective housing solutions.

Empowering low-income community in Kampong settlement by exploring people's activities in surrounding environment

Science.gov (United States)

Bawole, Paulus; Sutanto, Haryati B.

2017-11-01

Urban Kampong is a spontaneous settlement growing in several big cities within developing countries including Indonesia. This settlement is developed by low-income people without any plan. Therefore there is no specific housing pattern in the settlement. The characteristics of the settlements is dominated by Javanese traditional roof typology and narrow path with minimal public open spaces. People's creativity in building their houses often uses second hand building materials that make their houses look specific. Besides, infrastructure facilities within Kampong Settlement are very poor. Because the poor living in Urban Kampong have to adjust their live with minimum infrastructure facilities available, they have to be creative in using all facilities available. Through the creativities of low-income people living in Urban Kampong the research will show how the inhabitants can be empowered by exploring inhabitant's creativities and consequently the environmental quality within Urban Kampong can be improved as well.

24 CFR 791.402 - Determination of low-income housing needs.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS AND PUBLIC AND INDIAN HOUSING PROGRAMS) ALLOCATIONS OF HOUSING ASSISTANCE FUNDS... housing units that would be required to maintain vacancies at levels typical of balanced market conditions...

24 CFR 1000.116 - What should HUD do before declining a proposal to provide assistance to non low-income Indian...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... a proposal to provide assistance to non low-income Indian families or a model housing activity? 1000.116 Section 1000.116 Housing and Urban Development Regulations Relating to Housing and Urban... URBAN DEVELOPMENT NATIVE AMERICAN HOUSING ACTIVITIES Affordable Housing Activities § 1000.116 What...

Low Income Consumer Utility Issues: A National Perspective; TOPICAL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eisenberg, J

2001-01-01

This report provides a survey of assistance programs that public utility commissions have approved in most states to assist the low-income customers of utilities within their states. Surveys find that there is no single model of low-income assistance; rather, each state has adopted a program that meets its particular circumstances. However, while the details of programs vary considerably, they all fall within four broad categories: (1) Affordability programs, which provide direct assistance in paying energy bills; (2) Consumer protections, such as collection practices and installment billing requirements, which make it easier to pay energy bills on time; (3) Education programs, which teach consumers about prudent energy use and counsel them about budgeting; and (4) Efficiency and weatherization programs, which make investments to help consumers control their energy bills by reducing their need for energy. Programs usually include more than one of these components. All programs also include outreach and evaluation components. This report describes these options, the advantages and disadvantages of each, and the economic and other benefits of utility assistance programs for low-income customers. Low-income programs help participants by lowering the fraction of their incomes devoted to energy bills (the energy burden) from a very high level. In the United States, the median household devotes only 3.8 percent of its income to electricity while a family depending on a minimum-wage earner must devote 12.1 percent to energy while facing housing cost increases all over the nation. Low-income families unable to keep up with these pressures find themselves forced to go without power at times, to move, or to forgo other necessities such as food or medicine in order to pay their electricity bills

24 CFR 236.755 - Housing owner's obligation under contract to report tenant income increase.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... FOR RENTAL PROJECTS Rental Assistance Payments § 236.755 Housing owner's obligation under contract to... 24 Housing and Urban Development 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Housing owner's obligation under contract to report tenant income increase. 236.755 Section 236.755 Housing and Urban Development...

Growth in Means-Tested Programs and Tax Credits for Low-Income Households

Science.gov (United States)

Carrington, William; Dahl, Molly; Falk, Justin

2013-01-01

The federal government devotes roughly one-sixth of its spending to 10 major means-tested programs and tax credits, which provide cash payments or assistance in obtaining health care, food, housing, or education to people with relatively low income or few assets. Those programs and credits consist of the following: (1) Medicaid; (2) the low-income…

New Introductions, Spread of Existing Matrilines, and High Rates of Pyrethroid Resistance Result in Chronic Infestations of Bed Bugs (Cimex lectularius L. in Lower-Income Housing.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ronald W Raab

Full Text Available Infestations of the common bed bug (Cimex lectularius L. have increased substantially in the United States in the past 10-15 years. The housing authority in Harrisonburg, Virginia, conducts heat-treatments after bed bugs are detected in a lower-income housing complex, by treating each infested unit at 60°C for 4-6 hours. However, a high frequency of recurrent infestations called into question the efficacy of this strategy. Genetic analysis using Bayesian clustering of polymorphic microsatellite loci from 123 bed bugs collected from 23 units from May 2012 to April 2013 in one building indicated that (a 16/21 (73% infestations were genetically similar, suggesting ineffective heat-treatments or reintroductions from within the building or from a common external source, followed by local spread of existing populations; and (b up to 5 of the infestations represented new genotypes, indicating that 5 new populations were introduced into this building in one year, assuming they were not missed in earlier screens. There was little to no gene flow among the 8 genetic clusters identified in the building. Bed bugs in the U.S. often possess one or both point mutations in the voltage-gated sodium channel, termed knockdown resistance (kdr, from valine to leucine (V419L and leucine to isoleucine (L925I that confer target-site resistance against pyrethroid insecticides. We found that 48/121 (40% bed bugs were homozygous for both kdr mutations (L419/I925, and a further 59% possessed at least one of the kdr mutations. We conclude that ineffective heat treatments, new introductions, reintroductions and local spread, and an exceptionally high frequency of pyrethroid resistance are responsible for chronic infestations in lower-income housing. Because heat treatments fail to protect from reintroductions, and pesticide use has not decreased the frequency of infestations, preventing new introductions and early detection are the most effective strategies to avoid bed bug

Local government influence on energy conservation ambitions in existing housing sites-Plucking the low-hanging fruit?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hoppe, T.; Bressers, J.Th.A.; Lulofs, K.R.D.

2011-01-01

Greater energy efficiency can be achieved in existing dwellings thanks to longer lifecycles, slow replacement rates, and technical innovations. Many such dwellings are located in dense urban neighbourhoods, where urban renewal projects are undertaken. Local government can encourage the setting of ambitious goals as a stepping stone to realizing energy efficiency goals that achieve high levels of energy efficiency. The research question which this paper addresses is: to what degree do local governments influence ambitions to conserve energy in existing housing sites? To examine this issue, thirty-three sites in the Netherlands were studied using a quantitative analysis. The results show that collaboration between local authorities and local actors increases the level of ambition to conserve energy. However, local authorities intentionally selected sites with poor energy efficiency, so it would be easy to meet ambitious energy conservation targets. Collaboration between local authorities and local actors turns out to be the key factor in selecting those sites. Moreover, there is little sign of genuine ambition. This article contributes to the debate on energy conservation policies in local housing sites. The study provides starting points for systematic, empirical research into the realisation of energy conservation in existing housing, especially in large-scale refurbishment projects. - Research Highlights: → Local governments encourage the setting of goals to realize energy efficiency goals. → Local authorities intentionally select sites with poor initial energy efficiency performance. → Collaboration with local actors turns out to be a key factor in selecting those sites. →There is little sign of genuine ambition. → Starting points for empirical research into the realisation of energy conservation in housing.

77 FR 16203 - Section 538 Guaranteed Rural Rental Housing Program 2012 Industry Forums-Open Teleconference and...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-03-20

.... However, if it appears that existing capabilities may prevent the Agency from accommodating all requests... Section 515 developments. The impact of Low Income Housing Tax Credits program changes on Section 538..., genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or part of an individual's income is...

Polish Housing Policy in Com parison with the Housing Policy in the UE – Selected Issues

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anna Szelągowska

2011-07-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this article is to present the main principles of Polish housing policy and to compare it with the housing policy in the European Union. Poland, as an UE member, did not hammer out successful solutions which could facilitate the process of building new low-rental dwellings. The authors aim is to find the answer to research question: is it worth concentrating on fulfilling housing needs of low-income households in Poland and if yes, why? In order to do this the following hypothesis is put forward: on account of long-standing neglect connected with the Polish social housing finance there is an urgent need of housing reform oriented to the low-income housing growth.

Food stress in Adelaide: the relationship between low income and the affordability of healthy food.

Science.gov (United States)

Ward, Paul R; Verity, Fiona; Carter, Patricia; Tsourtos, George; Coveney, John; Wong, Kwan Chui

2013-01-01

Healthy food is becoming increasingly expensive, and families on low incomes face a difficult financial struggle to afford healthy food. When food costs are considered, families on low incomes often face circumstances of poverty. Housing, utilities, health care, and transport are somewhat fixed in cost; however food is more flexible in cost and therefore is often compromised with less healthy, cheaper food, presenting an opportunity for families on low incomes to cut costs. Using a "Healthy Food Basket" methodology, this study costed a week's supply of healthy food for a range of family types. It found that low-income families would have to spend approximately 30% of household income on eating healthily, whereas high-income households needed to spend about 10%. The differential is explained by the cost of the food basket relative to household income (i.e., affordability). It is argued that families that spend more than 30% of household income on food could be experiencing "food stress." Moreover the high cost of healthy foods leaves low-income households vulnerable to diet-related health problems because they often have to rely on cheaper foods which are high in fat, sugar, and salt.

Assessment of current Dutch energy transition policy instruments for the existing housing stock

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tambach, Milly; Hasselaar, Evert; Itard, Laure

2010-01-01

This research assesses to what extent current Dutch energy transition policy instruments for the existing housing stock can fulfil local executive actors' needs and instigate adoption of energy efficiency measures by them. This is done by studying energy policy instruments for the existing housing stock in the Netherlands and in other European countries, and by an empirical research, which analyses barriers and needs of local executive actors. We found that, despite current Dutch energy transition policy instruments for the existing housing stock seem to fulfil local executive actors' needs to a large extent, complementary policy instruments are needed to stimulate and pressure the incumbent renovation regime. A long-term oriented financial rewarding system is needed to build up a structural market for the deployment of renewables, to increase the number of specialist jobs in the building sector, and to stimulate the development of integrated, standardized, building components. Furthermore, a long-term oriented financial rewarding system for energy efficiency investments in housing renovation projects, and a low VAT rate applied to energy efficient renovation measures, are needed. Finally, enforcement possibilities and sanctions (fines) should become an integrative part of Dutch energy certification regulation to make the certificate become part of a value chain.

76 FR 8712 - Section 538 Guaranteed Rural Rental Housing Program 2011 Industry Forums-Open Teleconference and...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-02-15

... existing capabilities may prevent the Agency from accommodating all requests for one form of participation... developments. The impact of Low Income Housing Tax Credits program changes on Section 538 financings. USDA... information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or part of an individual's income is derived from any...

A bi-level intervention to improve oral hygiene of older and disabled adults in low-income housing: results of a pilot study.

Science.gov (United States)

Reisine, S; Schensul, J J; Goldblatt, R; Radda, K; Foster-Bey, C; Acosta-Glynn, C; Miron-Carcamo, L; Ioannidou, E

2016-06-01

This paper describes the results of a bi-level intervention, using a cognitive-behavioral theoretical approach, to improve the oral hygiene of older adults and the disabled in community-based low income senior housing. The bi-level pilot intervention consisted of an on-site tailored adapted motivational interviewing (AMI) session and two oral health fairs, supported by a resident campaign committee, to change community norms. All materials were available in English and Spanish. Participants completed a survey consisting of 12 domains that provided the basis for tailoring the AMI and shaping the campaigns. The domains were activities of daily living (ADLs), access to oral health information, oral hygiene status, dental knowledge, hygiene behaviors, importance of oral hygiene, self-efficacy/locus of control, diet, intentions, self-management worries/fears, perceived risk and dry mouth. Each participant received clinical assessments consisting of full-mouth plaque score (PS) and gingival index (GI) before the intervention and at three months. Twenty-seven residents with at least one tooth completed all phases of the study. The mean number of domains requiring attention was 4.5 (SD 1.6) with a range of one to seven. Mean baseline PS was 83% (SD 16%) which improved significantly to 58% (SD 31%); mean baseline GI was 1.15 (SD 0.61) and improved significantly to 0.49 (SD 0.46). This pilot study supports the feasibility and acceptability of a tailored oral hygiene intervention among older and disabled adults living in low income senior housing. Although a small sample, the study demonstrated significant improvements in both plaque and gingival scores three months after the bi-level intervention.

Gauging the Impact of Various Definitions of Low- and Moderate-Income Communities on Possible Electricity Savings From Weatherization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hoffman, Ian M. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

2017-06-20

With rising interest in lowering energy costs for low- and moderate-income households, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) asked Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) to assess the implications of pursuing energy efficiency neighborhood-by-neighborhood where those households are most prevalent. DOE provided certain scenarios for qualifying geographic areas as “low- and moderate-income communities,” and LBNL used data on demographics, housing types and recent savings from low-income retrofits or weatherization to provide rough electricity savings estimates under those scenarios.

Existing sustainable renovation concepts for single-family houses

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tommerup, Henrik M.; Vanhoutteghem, Lies; Svendsen, Svend

2010-01-01

In the Nordic Innovation Centre Project, SuccessFamilies, the main objective is to change the business environment in order to speed up the implementation of sustainable renovation of single-family houses – proposing new service concepts that will combine both the technical solutions, financing...... with individual solutions, traditional warehouses ”do-it-yourself-shops” and some actors marketing single products. To speed up the implementation of sustainable renovation of single-family houses there is a great need for full-service packages. Existing technical renovation concepts, typically focusing...... services as well as other promoting issues to overcome the behavioural, organizational, legal and social barriers that exist in sustainable renovation. A starting point for such a change has been to get an overview of the existing sustainable renovation concepts, i.e. full-service concepts and technical...

Low energy houses and passive houses - common questions; Laagenergihus och passivhus - vanliga fraagestaellningar

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sikander, Eva; Samuelson, Ingemar; Gustavsson, Thorbjoern; Ruud, Svein; Larsson, Krister; Hiller, Carolina; Werner, Goesta; Gabrielii, Kristina

2009-07-01

This feasibility study of passive houses and low-energy houses has raised several questions concerning aspects of which more knowledge is needed. Many can be answered by existing knowledge, but there are still several that can only partly be answered, and some that cannot be answered at all. As there is a substantial demand for, and interest in, the construction of low-energy houses and passive houses, it is important that the remaining questions should be addressed so that the building sector can continue to develop. Examples of areas where further knowledge is needed include: moisture safe and energy-efficient building envelopes; demand-responsive ventilation, without risk of poor indoor environmental conditions; thermal comfort (summer and winter); airtight and durable detailing; design systems and working methods to ensure retention of good characteristics when converting or extending buildings; durability aspects of certain components and functions; the effects of occupants on energy use; how indoor environment conditions and functions will cope with climate change; quality assurance in order to ensure that the appropriate knowledge is applied, and that the work is carried out properly. Some important points to emphasise: The design and construction of low-energy houses and passive houses must be firmly based on the correct design principles and appropriate standards of workmanship, in order to ensure that the houses are energy-efficient, have good indoor environmental conditions and can be expected to have long lives. Proper understanding of the principles, coupled with constant quality awareness, are essential in all stages of the work from the developer, designer and construction personnel but also during operation-phase. Hitherto, low-energy houses and passive houses have been built in relatively small numbers, but the expectation is that interest in them will increase. This raises the question of how, if production is to be very much more than at present

Food Stress in Adelaide: The Relationship between Low Income and the Affordability of Healthy Food

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paul R. Ward

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Healthy food is becoming increasingly expensive, and families on low incomes face a difficult financial struggle to afford healthy food. When food costs are considered, families on low incomes often face circumstances of poverty. Housing, utilities, health care, and transport are somewhat fixed in cost; however food is more flexible in cost and therefore is often compromised with less healthy, cheaper food, presenting an opportunity for families on low incomes to cut costs. Using a “Healthy Food Basket” methodology, this study costed a week’s supply of healthy food for a range of family types. It found that low-income families would have to spend approximately 30% of household income on eating healthily, whereas high-income households needed to spend about 10%. The differential is explained by the cost of the food basket relative to household income (i.e., affordability. It is argued that families that spend more than 30% of household income on food could be experiencing “food stress.” Moreover the high cost of healthy foods leaves low-income households vulnerable to diet-related health problems because they often have to rely on cheaper foods which are high in fat, sugar, and salt.

A comparative analysis of avoidable causes of childhood blindness in Malaysia with low income, middle income and high income countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Koay, C L; Patel, D K; Tajunisah, I; Subrayan, V; Lansingh, V C

2015-04-01

To determine the avoidable causes of childhood blindness in Malaysia and to compare this to other middle income countries, low income countries and high income countries. Data were obtained from a school of the blind study by Patel et al. and analysed for avoidable causes of childhood blindness. Six other studies with previously published data on childhood blindness in Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Indonesia, China and the United Kingdom were reviewed for avoidable causes. Comparisons of data and limitations of the studies are described. Prevalence of avoidable causes of childhood blindness in Malaysia is 50.5 % of all the cases of childhood blindness, whilst in the poor income countries such as Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Nigeria and Indonesia, the prevalence was in excess of 60 %. China had a low prevalence, but this is largely due to the fact that most schools were urban, and thus did not represent the situation of the country. High income countries had the lowest prevalence of avoidable childhood blindness. In middle income countries, such as Malaysia, cataract and retinopathy of prematurity are the main causes of avoidable childhood blindness. Low income countries continue to struggle with infections such as measles and nutritional deficiencies, such as vitamin A, both of which are the main contributors to childhood blindness. In high income countries, such as the United Kingdom, these problems are almost non-existent.

Food (In)Security in Rapidly Urbanising, Low-Income Contexts

OpenAIRE

Cecilia Tacoli

2017-01-01

Urbanisation in low and middle-income nations presents both opportunities and immense challenges. As urban centres grow rapidly, inadequate housing and the lack of basic infrastructure and services affect a large and growing proportion of their population. There is also a growing body of evidence on urban poverty and its links with environmental hazards. There is, however, limited knowledge of how these challenges affect the ways in which poor urban residents gain access to food and secure he...

24 CFR 888.111 - Fair market rents for existing housing: Applicability.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 4 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Fair market rents for existing... DIRECT LOAN PROGRAM, SECTION 202 SUPPORTIVE HOUSING FOR THE ELDERLY PROGRAM AND SECTION 811 SUPPORTIVE HOUSING FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES PROGRAM) SECTION 8 HOUSING ASSISTANCE PAYMENTS PROGRAM-FAIR MARKET...

24 CFR 888.113 - Fair market rents for existing housing: Methodology.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 4 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Fair market rents for existing... DIRECT LOAN PROGRAM, SECTION 202 SUPPORTIVE HOUSING FOR THE ELDERLY PROGRAM AND SECTION 811 SUPPORTIVE HOUSING FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES PROGRAM) SECTION 8 HOUSING ASSISTANCE PAYMENTS PROGRAM-FAIR MARKET...

Do housing regimes matter? : Assessing the concept of housing regimes through configurations of housing outcomes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dewilde, C.L.

2017-01-01

Based on a conceptualisation of de-commodification as the right to decent and affordable housing, we assessed to what extent this right is realised for low-to-moderate-income owners and renters across Western European housing regimes in 1995 and 2012. If differences in the social production of

Income, income inequality and youth smoking in low- and middle-income countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, David X; Guindon, G Emmanuel

2013-04-01

To examine the relationships between income, income inequality and current smoking among youth in low- and middle-income countries. Pooled cross-sectional data from the Global Youth Tobacco Surveys, conducted in low- and middle-income countries, were used to conduct multi-level logistic analyses that accounted for the nesting of students in schools and of schools in countries. A total of 169 283 students aged 13-15 from 63 low- and middle-income countries. Current smoking was defined as having smoked at least one cigarette in the past 30 days. Gross domestic product (GDP) per capita was our measure of absolute income. Contemporaneous and lagged (10-year) Gini coefficients, as well as the income share ratio of the top decile of incomes to the bottom decile, were our measures of income inequality. Our analyses reveal a significant positive association between levels of income and youth smoking. We find that a 10% increase in GDP per capita increases the odds of being a current smoker by at least 2.5%, and potentially considerably more. Our analyses also suggest a relationship between the distribution of incomes and youth smoking: youth from countries with more unequal distributions of income tend to have higher odds of currently smoking. There is a positive association between gross domestic product and the odds of a young person in a low- and middle-income country being a current smoker. Given the causal links between smoking and a wide range of youth morbidities, the association between smoking and income inequality may underlie a substantial portion of the health disparities observed that are currently experiencing rapid economic growth. © 2012 The Authors, Addiction © 2012 Society for the Study of Addiction.

Multifamily Housing Rehabilitation Process Improvements

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sweet, Marshall L. [Partnership for Home Innovation, Upper Marlboro, MD (United States); Francisco, Abby [Partnership for Home Innovation, Upper Marlboro, MD (United States); Roberts, Sydney G. [Partnership for Home Innovation, Upper Marlboro, MD (United States)

2016-03-01

Rea Ventures Group, LLC (Rea Ventures) partnered with Southface Energy Institute (Southface)—a member of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Partnership for Home Innovation Building America research team—to rehabilitate 418 low-income multifamily rental apartments located at 14 properties in Georgia (International Energy Conservation Code Climate Zones 2–4). These 22-year-old units with individual utility meters were arranged in row house or townhouse style. Rehabilitation plans were developed using a process prescribed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development program, which partially funded the building upgrades. The USDA is responsible for building, upgrading, and subsidizing housing in rural areas nationwide; this housing includes more than 14,000 existing multifamily housing developments. In 2012, more than $100 million in grants and loans were allocated for that purpose.

A Place To Call Home. The Crisis in Housing for the Poor.

Science.gov (United States)

Leonard, Paul A.; And Others

For most low-income households, housing has become increasingly unaffordable. High housing cost burdens have serious implications, including the growing problems of homelessness and hunger. Data on national trends and housing conditions suggest that just as the affordable housing problems worsened dramatically for low-income households between the…

Income inequality and adolescent fertility in low-income countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Castro, Ruben; Fajnzylber, Eduardo

2017-09-28

: The well-known socioeconomic gradient in health does not imply that income inequality by itself has any effect on well-being. However, there is evidence of a positive association between income inequality and adolescent fertility across countries. Nevertheless, this key finding is not focused on low-income countries. This study applies a multilevel logistic regression of country-level adolescent fertility on country-level income inequality plus individual-level income and controls to the Demographic and Health Surveys data. A negative association between income inequality and adolescent fertility was found among low-income countries, controlling for income (OR = 0.981; 95%CI: 0.963-0.999). Different measures and different subsamples of countries show the same results. Therefore, the international association between income inequality and adolescent fertility seems more complex than previously thought.

77 FR 65139 - Designation of Low-Income Status; Acceptance of Secondary Capital Accounts by Low-Income...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-10-25

...-Income Status; Acceptance of Secondary Capital Accounts by Low-Income Designated Credit Unions AGENCY... amend its low-income credit unions regulation by extending the time credit unions have to accept a low- income designation. Under the current rule, an FCU that has received notification from NCUA that it...

78 FR 4030 - Designation of Low-Income Status; Acceptance of Secondary Capital Accounts by Low-Income...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-18

...-Income Status; Acceptance of Secondary Capital Accounts by Low-Income Designated Credit Unions AGENCY... amending its low-income credit unions regulation by extending the time period in which a federal credit union (FCU) may accept a low-income designation. Under the current rule, an FCU that receives notice...

26 CFR 1.9300-1 - Reduction in taxable income for housing displaced individuals.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

...)(2) of this section) to whom the taxpayer provides housing free of charge in, or on the site of, the... separately to each disaster. The limitations of this paragraph (c) apply separately to each disaster area. Thus, a taxpayer may reduce taxable income by $2,000 for providing housing to Midwestern disaster...

Financial Position and House Price Determination : An Empirical Study of Income and Wealth Effects

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Steegmans, J.W.A.M.|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/377458708; Hassink, W.H.J.|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/090437411

This paper examines the effect of the relative financial position of buyers and sellers on house prices, distinguishing between income and wealth effects. Using administrative data from the Netherlands (2006–2010) that combine transaction data, house characteristics, and household characteristics of

Counting the cost of housing

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Michiel Ras; Evelien Eggink; Edwin van Gameren; Ingrid Ooms

2006-01-01

Original title: Uitgerekend wonen. The Dutch government exerts a great influence on the housing costs incurred by households. Tenants can apply for housing subsidy, while owner-occupiers can set their mortgage interest against their income tax. These measures have existed for a long time, but

Income inequality and adolescent fertility in low-income countries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ruben Castro

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract: The well-known socioeconomic gradient in health does not imply that income inequality by itself has any effect on well-being. However, there is evidence of a positive association between income inequality and adolescent fertility across countries. Nevertheless, this key finding is not focused on low-income countries. This study applies a multilevel logistic regression of country-level adolescent fertility on country-level income inequality plus individual-level income and controls to the Demographic and Health Surveys data. A negative association between income inequality and adolescent fertility was found among low-income countries, controlling for income (OR = 0.981; 95%CI: 0.963-0.999. Different measures and different subsamples of countries show the same results. Therefore, the international association between income inequality and adolescent fertility seems more complex than previously thought.

Quality of Life (QoL) Survey in Hong Kong: Understanding the Importance of Housing Environment and Needs of Residents from Different Housing Sectors.

Science.gov (United States)

Gou, Zhonghua; Xie, Xiaohuan; Lu, Yi; Khoshbakht, Maryam

2018-01-27

This study presents a Quality of Life (QoL) survey to understand the influence of the housing environment and needs of residents from different housing sectors. The research focuses on Hong Kong where living conditions have become the main affect for people's QoL. Through a household survey using a standard instrument "Word Health Organisation (WHO) Quality of Life-BREF", the article found that among the four WHO QoL domains (Physical Health, Psychological Health, Social Relations And Environment), Environment, particularly its constitute aspect housing environment was the most influential factor for overall quality of life for the public rental housing sector where low-income people live. This research also found that different groups of people have differing needs of their housing environments: the low-income group needs better location and privacy while the medium and high-income groups need better architectural quality. Based on differentiating their needs and wants, this research argues for prioritizing the low-income group's needs for effectively improving their QoL.

Indoor air quality/air infiltration in selected low-energy houses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shohl Wagner, B.; Phillips, T.J.

1984-01-01

Indoor air quality and air infiltration were measured in 16 low-energy California houses. Eleven has gas stoves; all had average infiltration rates of 0.5 h -1 of less, recent construction dates, low natural ventilation, and no mechanical ventilation. HCHO levels in 12 houses and radon-222 and NO 2 levels in all houses were measured using passive monitors. Blower door measurements and local weather data were used to calculate average infiltration rates during the monitoring period. Correlation of pollutant concentrations with infiltration rates and building characteristics indicate that new houses with average heating season infiltration rates less than 0.5 h -1 do not necessarily experience poor indoor air quality, HCHO and radon-222 levels in new houses exceeded the lowest currently proposed standards or guidelines, and much higher levels probably exist elsewhere. Therefore, some strategy for identifying 'problem' houses is needed. We recommend an approach for future research in this area. (Author)

Reporting to parents on children's exposures to asthma triggers in low-income and public housing, an interview-based case study of ethics, environmental literacy, individual action, and public health benefits.

Science.gov (United States)

Perovich, Laura J; Ohayon, Jennifer Liss; Cousins, Elicia Mayuri; Morello-Frosch, Rachel; Brown, Phil; Adamkiewicz, Gary; Brody, Julia Green

2018-05-21

Emerging evidence about the effects of endocrine disruptors on asthma symptoms suggests new opportunities to reduce asthma by changing personal environments. Right-to-know ethics supports returning personal results for these chemicals to participants, so they can make decisions to reduce exposures. Yet researchers and institutional review boards have been reluctant to approve results reports in low-income communities, which are disproportionately affected by asthma. Concerns include limited literacy, lack of resources to reduce exposures, co-occurring stressors, and lack of models for effective reporting. To better understand the ethical and public health implications of returning personal results in low-income communities, we investigated parents' experiences of learning their children's environmental chemical and biomonitoring results in the Green Housing Study of asthma. The Green Housing Study measured indoor chemical exposures, allergens, and children's asthma symptoms in "green"-renovated public housing and control sites in metro-Boston and Cincinnati in 2011-2013. We developed reports for parents of children in the study, including results for their child and community. We observed community meetings where results were reported, and metro-Boston residents participated in semi-structured interviews in 2015 about their report-back experience. Interviews were systematically coded and analyzed. Report-back was positively received, contributed to greater understanding, built trust between researchers and participants, and facilitated action to improve health. Sampling visits and community meetings also contributed to creating a positive study experience for participants. Participants were able to make changes in their homes, such as altering product use and habits that may reduce asthma symptoms, though some faced roadblocks from family members. Participants also gained access to medical resources, though some felt that clinicians were not responsive

Effects of Housing First on Employment and Income of Homeless Individuals: Results of a Randomized Trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Poremski, Daniel; Stergiopoulos, Vicky; Braithwaite, Erika; Distasio, Jino; Nisenbaum, Rosane; Latimer, Eric

2016-06-01

Housing First is emerging as an evidence-based practice for housing and supporting people who are homeless and have a mental illness. The objective of this study was to determine whether Housing First increases the odds of obtaining competitive employment in this population and affects income, including income from informal and illegal sources. A total of 2,148 people with a mental illness were recruited from five Canadian cities while they were homeless, classified as having moderate or high needs, and randomly assigned to Housing First or usual care. Housing First participants with high needs received assertive community treatment (ACT), and those with moderate needs received intensive case management (ICM). Every three months, participants were interviewed about employment and earnings in the previous months (median follow-up=745 days). Regression models were estimated via generalized estimating equations. ICM recipients had lower odds of obtaining employment compared with the control group with moderate needs. The odds of obtaining employment among ICM recipients increased but their employment rate never exceeded that of the control group. For ACT recipients, the odds of obtaining employment were not significantly different from those of the control group. Among Housing First participants, persons employed at baseline, men, and younger participants had greater odds of employment compared with control participants. Housing First did not appear to significantly increase income. This was the first large-scale randomized controlled study of Housing First's effects on employment. Further research is needed to determine how Housing First may be enhanced to increase odds of obtaining employment.

House Prices and Taxes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gjedsted Nielsen, Mads

This paper is the first to consider a large scale natural experiment to estimate the effect of taxes on house prices. We find that a 1 percentage-point increase in income tax rates lead to a drop in house prices of at most 2.2%. This corresponds to a tax capitalization for the average household...... capitalization from earlier studies. Furthermore, we find no effect of property taxes on house prices. We attribute this to the low levels of Danish municipal property tax rates compared to income tax rates....

Epidemiology of maternal depression, risk factors, and child outcomes in low-income and middle-income countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Gelaye, Bizu; Rondon, Marta B; Araya, Ricardo; Williams, Michelle A

2016-10-01

Maternal depression, a non-psychotic depressive episode of mild to major severity, is one of the major contributors of pregnancy-related morbidity and mortality. Maternal depression (antepartum or post partum) has been linked to negative health-related behaviours and adverse outcomes, including psychological and developmental disturbances in infants, children, and adolescents. Despite its enormous burden, maternal depression in low-income and middle-income countries remains under-recognised and undertreated. In this Series paper, we systematically review studies that focus on the epidemiology of perinatal depression (ie, during antepartum and post-partum periods) among women residing in low-income and middle-income countries. We also summarise evidence for the association of perinatal depression with infant and childhood outcomes. This review is intended to summarise findings from the existing literature, identify important knowledge gaps, and set the research agenda for creating new generalisable knowledge pertinent to increasing our understanding of the prevalence, determinants, and infant and childhood health outcomes associated with perinatal depression. This review is also intended to set the stage for subsequent work aimed at reinforcing and accelerating investments toward providing services to manage maternal depression in low-income and middle-income countries. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluating the co-benefits of low-income energy-efficiency programmes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Heffner, Grayson; Campbell, Nina

2011-06-15

The International Energy Agency's Energy Efficiency Unit (EEU) has begun a new programme of work on innovative energy-efficiency policies for mitigating fuel poverty. The IEA's current research focuses on the potential for low-income weatherisation programmes to address poor housing quality -- the main driver of fuel poverty -- as well as innovative methods for financing and evaluating such programmes. A common problem is that the energy-saving benefits accruing to fuel-poor households barely offset the investment required, suggesting a weak return on government spending. However, these investments have additional co-benefits for participants as well as for energy providers, property owners, local communities and society as a whole. This first IEA workshop focused on methods for incorporating the range of co-benefits into evaluation of low-income weatherisation programmes. The presentations given by top experts in the fuel poverty field are summarised in this report, along with conclusions and proposals for further research.

Evaluating the co-benefits of low-income energy-efficiency programmes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Heffner, Grayson; Campbell, Nina

2011-06-15

The International Energy Agency's Energy Efficiency Unit (EEU) has begun a new programme of work on innovative energy-efficiency policies for mitigating fuel poverty. The IEA's current research focuses on the potential for low-income weatherisation programmes to address poor housing quality -- the main driver of fuel poverty -- as well as innovative methods for financing and evaluating such programmes. A common problem is that the energy-saving benefits accruing to fuel-poor households barely offset the investment required, suggesting a weak return on government spending. However, these investments have additional co-benefits for participants as well as for energy providers, property owners, local communities and society as a whole. This first IEA workshop focused on methods for incorporating the range of co-benefits into evaluation of low-income weatherisation programmes. The presentations given by top experts in the fuel poverty field are summarised in this report, along with conclusions and proposals for further research.

Low-income consumers' attitudes and behaviour towards access, availability and motivation to eat fruit and vegetables

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dibsdall, L.A.; Lambert, N.; Bobbin, R.F.; Frewer, L.J.

2003-01-01

To determine low-income consumers' attitudes and behaviour towards fruit and vegetables, in particular issues of access to, affordability of and motivation to eat fruit and vegetables. Design and setting: Questionnaire survey mailed to homes owned by a large UK housing association. Participants:

The Affordability of Housing in the Netherlands : An Increasing Income Gap Between Renting and Owning?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Haffner, M.E.A.; Boumeester, H.J.F.M.

2010-01-01

Housing became more expensive in the Netherlands between 2002 and 2006, a trend which has been demonstrated using various measures of affordability. The expenditure-to-income ratios calculated for households confirm that the average cost of housing rose for tenants and homeowners, as well as for

The Association Between Apartment Layout and Depressive Symptomology among Hispanic/Latino Residents in Low-Income Housing: the AHOME Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Chambers, Earle C; Bafna, Sonit; Machry, Herminia

2018-02-01

In this study of low-income Hispanic/Latino adults living in 291 individual apartments in the Bronx, New York, the apartment layout was significantly associated with the odds of depressive symptomology. Women living in apartments in which the most central rooms were the living, dining, or kitchen (i.e., rooms commonly used for communal activities) were less likely to have depressive symptomology (OR = 0.44, 95% CI = 0.22-0.86) than women in apartments where the central rooms were lobbies or corridors, adjusting for demographics, health conditions, and housing and neighborhood characteristics. No statistically significant association was observed in men. We present the logic underlying the use of layout variables in this study and discuss the implications it may have for understanding the role of the home environment on psychological distress among inhabitants. The results of this study show how space syntax analysis can be used to better understanding disparities in the risk of depression and offer an additional opportunity for public health stakeholders to identify those most at risk for depression.

Developing Housing and Education Partnerships: Lessons from the Field. Research Report

Science.gov (United States)

Gallagher, Megan

2015-01-01

Schools and youth-serving organizations often struggle to better meet the needs of low-income students and to connect them to resources that can stabilize their lives and strengthen their academic competencies. Assisted-housing providers, including housing authorities, are in a unique position to support educators, low-income students, and their…

32 CFR 169a.9 - Reviews: Existing in-house commercial activities.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... either government or contractor personnel, whichever is more cost effective. Core logistics activities... review schedules. Existing in-house CAs, once reviewed shall be retained in-house without a cost.... In most cases, application of this criteria shall be made considering the wartime and peacetime...

Economic analysis of passive houses and low-energy houses compared with standard houses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Audenaert, A.; Cleyn, S.H. de; Vankerckhove, B.

2008-01-01

As the energy demand used for space heating accounts for 78% of EU15 household delivered energy consumption, significant reductions in energy demand can be achieved by promoting low-energy buildings. Our study investigates three building types: the standard house, the low-energy house and the passive house. As more far-reaching measures concerning energy savings usually lead to higher investments, the aim of our study is to perform an economic analysis in order to determine the economic viability of the three building types

Does Concern Motivate Behavior Change?: Exploring the Relationship between Physical Activity and Body Mass Index among Low-Income Housing Residents

Science.gov (United States)

Tamers, Sara L.; Allen, Jennifer; Yang, May; Stoddard, Anne; Harley, Amy; Sorensen, Glorian

2014-01-01

Objective: To explore relationships between concerns and physical activity and body mass index (BMI) among a racially/ethnically diverse low-income population. Method: A cross-sectional survey documented behavioral risks among racially/ethnically diverse low-income residents in the Boston area (2005-2009). Multivariable logistic regressions were…

Associations between family food behaviors, maternal depression, and child weight among low-income children

OpenAIRE

McCurdy, Karen; Gorman, Kathleen S.; Kisler, Tiffani; Metallinos-Katsaras, Metallinos-Katsaras

2014-01-01

Although low-income children are at greater risk for overweight and obesity than their higher income counterparts, the majority of poor children are not overweight. The current study examined why such variation exists among diverse young children in poor families. Cross-sectional data were collected on 164 low-income, preschool aged children and their mothers living in two Rhode Island cities. Over half of the sample was Hispanic (55%). Mothers completed measures of family food behaviors and ...

75 FR 80364 - Sample Income Data To Meet the Low-Income Definition

Science.gov (United States)

2010-12-22

... 701 RIN 3133-AD76 Sample Income Data To Meet the Low-Income Definition AGENCY: National Credit Union... (FCUs) that do not qualify for a low-income designation using the geo-coding software the NCUA has developed for that purpose to submit an analysis of a statistically valid sample of their member income data...

Neighborhood perceptions and hypertension among low-income black women: a qualitative study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maliyhah Al-Bayan

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The majority of studies examining the role of neighborhoods and hypertension-related outcomes have been quantitative in nature and very few studies have examined specific disadvantaged populations, including low-income housing residents. The objective of this study was to use qualitative interviews to explore low-income Black women’s perceptions of their neighborhoods and to understand how those perceptions may affect their health, especially as it relates to blood pressure. Methods Seventeen Black female participants, living in public housing communities in New York City, completed one semi-structured, audiotaped interview in July of 2014. All interviews were transcribed, coded, and analyzed for emerging themes using N’Vivo 10 software. Results Three major themes emerged: (1 social connectedness, (2 stress factors, and (3 availability of food options. For example, factors that caused stress varied throughout the study population. Sources of stress included family members, employment, and uncleanliness within the neighborhood. Many participants attributed their stress to personal issues, such as lack of employment and relationships. In addition, the general consensus among many participants was that there should be a greater density of healthy food options in their neighborhoods. Some believed that the pricing of fresh foods in the neighborhoods should better reflect the financial status of the residents in the community. Conclusions Various neighborhood influences, including neighborhood disorder and lack of healthy food options, are factors that appear to increase Black women’s risk of developing high blood pressure. Implications of this research include the need to develop interventions that promote good neighborhood infrastructure (e.g. healthy food stores to encourage good nutrition habits and well-lit walking paths to encourage daily exercise, in addition to interventions that increase hypertension awareness in

The Optimal Progressive Income Tax -- The Existence and the Limit Tax Rates

OpenAIRE

Mamoru Kaneko

1981-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to consider the problem of optimal income taxation in the domain of progressive (convex) income tax function. This paper proves the existence of an optimal tax function and that the optimal marginal and average tax rates tend asymptotically to 100 percent as income level becomes arbitrarily high.

Improving Readability of an Evaluation Tool for Low-Income Clients Using Visual Information Processing Theories

Science.gov (United States)

Townsend, Marilyn S.; Sylva, Kathryn; Martin, Anna; Metz, Diane; Wooten-Swanson, Patti

2008-01-01

Literacy is an issue for many low-income audiences. Using visual information processing theories, the goal was improving readability of a food behavior checklist and ultimately improving its ability to accurately capture existing changes in dietary behaviors. Using group interviews, low-income clients (n = 18) evaluated 4 visual styles. The text…

The conceptual mismatch: transportation stressors and experiences for low-income adults.

Science.gov (United States)

2015-10-01

Physical access to jobs has long been identified as a barrier to employment and earnings, with prior : research identifying the spatial mismatch between suburban entry-level jobs and low-income workers. : However, existing transportation resear...

Housing Affordability And Children's Cognitive Achievement.

Science.gov (United States)

Newman, Sandra; Holupka, C Scott

2016-11-01

Housing cost burden-the fraction of income spent on housing-is the most prevalent housing problem affecting the healthy development of millions of low- and moderate-income children. By affecting disposable income, a high burden affects parents' expenditures on both necessities for and enrichment of their children, as well as investments in their children. Reducing those expenditures and investments, in turn, can affect children's development, including their cognitive skills and physical, social, and emotional health. This article summarizes the first empirical evidence of the effects of housing affordability on children's cognitive achievement and on one factor that appears to contribute to these effects: the larger expenditures on child enrichment by families in affordable housing. We found that housing cost burden has the same relationship to both children's cognitive achievement and enrichment spending on children, exhibiting an inverted U shape in both cases. The maximum benefit occurs when housing cost burden is near 30 percent of income-the long-standing rule-of-thumb definition of affordable housing. The effect of the burden is stronger on children's math ability than on their reading comprehension and is more pronounced with burdens above the 30 percent standard. For enrichment spending, the curve is "shallower" (meaning the effect of optimal affordability is less pronounced) but still significant. Project HOPE—The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.

Thermal, Economic and Environmental Analysis of a Low-Cost House in Alice, South Africa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Overen Ochuko Kelvin

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Indoor and outdoor temperature variation results in heat transfer between the inner and outer space of a house, subsequently drifting the indoor temperature out of the thermal comfort zone. This leads to occupants spending a significant amount of their income on space heating and cooling to achieve thermal comfort. The aim of this study is to analyze the thermal, economic and environmental impact of a low-cost house. A low-cost house located in Golf Course, Alice was used as a case study. The outdoor and indoor weather conditions of the house were monitored for periods covering summer and winter seasons. To maintain indoor thermal comfort, 3412.57 kWh of heating and 3214.75 kWh cooling energy were required in winter and summer seasons, respectively. At a rate of 1 ZAR equal to 13.34 USD and 29.39 c/kWh, the energy consumption results in $1003.02 worth of heating energy in winter and $944.88 of cooling energy in summer. In both seasons, to supply the equivalent amount of thermal energy used in the house from a coal-fired power plant, 9.65 ton of CO2, 81.71 kg of SO2 and 39.50 kg of NO2 gases will be emitted into the atmosphere. Promoting and enforcing energy efficient design in low-cost housing will not only bring about energy savings, but will also provide a year-round indoor thermal comfort.

76 FR 36976 - Sample Income Data To Meet the Low-Income Definition

Science.gov (United States)

2011-06-24

... NATIONAL CREDIT UNION ADMINISTRATION 12 CFR Part 701 RIN 3133-AD76 Sample Income Data To Meet the Low-Income Definition AGENCY: National Credit Union Administration (NCUA). ACTION: Final rule. SUMMARY... low-income designation using the geo-coding software the agency has developed for that purpose to...

Media discourses of low carbon housing: The marginalisation of social and behavioural dimensions within the British broadsheet press.

Science.gov (United States)

Cherry, Catherine; Hopfe, Christina; MacGillivray, Brian; Pidgeon, Nick

2015-04-01

Decarbonising housing is a key UK government policy to mitigate climate change. Using discourse analysis, we assess how low carbon housing is portrayed within British broadsheet media. Three distinct storylines were identified. Dominating the discourse, Zero carbon housing promotes new-build, low carbon houses as offering high technology solutions to the climate problem. Retrofitting homes emphasises the need to reduce emissions within existing housing, tackling both climate change and rising fuel prices. A more marginal discourse, Sustainable living, frames low carbon houses as related to individual identities and 'off-grid' or greener lifestyles. Our analysis demonstrates that technical and economic paradigms dominate media discourse on low carbon housing, marginalising social and behavioural aspects. © The Author(s) 2013.

24 CFR 1000.124 - What maximum and minimum rent or homebuyer payment can a recipient charge a low-income rental...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... assisted with NAHASDA grant amounts? 1000.124 Section 1000.124 Housing and Urban Development Regulations... Activities § 1000.124 What maximum and minimum rent or homebuyer payment can a recipient charge a low-income...

Examining Policies to Reduce Homelessness Using a General Equilibrium Model of the Housing Market

OpenAIRE

Mansur, Erin; Quigley, John M.; Raphael, Steven; Smolensky, Eugene

2003-01-01

In this paper, we use a general equilibrium simulation model to assess the potential impacts on homelessness of various housing-market policy interventions. We calibrate the model to the four largest metropolitan areas in California. We explore the welfare con- sequences and the effects on homelessness of three housing-market policy interventions: extending housing vouchers to all low-income households, subsidizing all landlords, and subsidizing those landlords who supply low-income housing. ...

Supporting and including children from low income families

OpenAIRE

Benoist, FD

2017-01-01

This chapter explores: • What we mean by low income and poverty and how poverty is defined • The families living on low income in the UK today and the impact of low income and poverty on children’s well-being, development and learning • Supporting children from low income families • The attainment gap between children from low income backgrounds and their peers • The pupil premium and how schools have used the extra funding to raise attainment • Key aspects of good practice and what schools c...

Housing in China: State Governance, Market and Public Perception

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Emile Kok-Kheng Yeoh

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Chinese house prices have been receiving huge coverage in both the domestic and the international media. Although the Chinese government has implemented many policies to control house prices, especially in the big cities, it is obvious that there is disequilibrium between demand for and supply of houses. Even though numerous housing policies have been put in place to overcome that, house prices in China are still rising. Many Chinese citizens from the low- and middle-incomes group find it difficult to purchase a house in the cities due to high house prices. This paper covers the current situation of the house prices in China, introduces the existing state of affairs about the Chinese housing market, explores a series of important reasons for high house prices, examines various public policies the Chinese government is using to control real estate, as well as reveals the citizens’ perceptions related to rising house prices. To gauge citizens’ perception of the current state of affairs in this regard, a questionnaire survey was conducted to gather information with a final sample of 256 respondents from more than ten cities of different tiers in the different regions of China.

Financing the response to HIV in low-income and middle-income countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Izazola-Licea, José Antonio; Wiegelmann, Jan; Arán, Christian; Guthrie, Teresa; De Lay, Paul; Avila-Figueroa, Carlos

2009-12-01

To describe levels of national HIV spending and examine programmatic allocations according to the type of epidemic and country income. Cross-sectional analysis of HIV expenditures from 50 low-income and middle-income countries. Sources of information included country reports of domestic spending by programmatic activity and HIV services. These HIV spending categories were cross tabulated by source of financing, stratified by type of HIV epidemic and income level of the country and reported in international dollars (I$). Fifty low-income and middle-income countries spent US $ 2.6 billion (I$ 5.8 billion) on HIV in 2006; 87% of the funding among the 17 low-income countries came from international donors. Average per capita spending was I$ 2.1 and positively correlated with Gross National Income. Per capita spending was I$ 1.5 in 9 countries with low-level HIV epidemics, I$ 1.6 in 27 countries with concentrated HIV epidemics and I$ 9.5 in 14 countries with generalized HIV epidemics. On average, spending on care and treatment represented 50% of AIDS spending across all countries. The treatment-to-prevention spending ratio was 1.5:1, 3:1, and 2:1 in countries with low-level, concentrated and generalized epidemics, respectively. Spending on prevention represented 21% of total AIDS spending. However, expenditures addressing most-at-risk populations represented less than 1% in countries with generalized epidemics and 7% in those with low-level or concentrated epidemics. The most striking finding is the mismatch between the types of HIV epidemics and the allocation of resources. The current global economic recession will force countries to rethink national strategies, especially in low-income countries with high aid dependency. Mapping HIV expenditures provides crucial guidance for reallocation of resources and supports evidence-based decisions. Now more than ever, countries need to know and act on their epidemics and give priority to the most effective programmatic

District Heating in Areas with Low Energy Houses

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tol, Hakan Ibrahim

-energy houses involved, together with the idea of utilizing booster pumps in the district heating network and (ii) use of network layouts of either a branched (tree-like) or a looped type. The methods developed were applied in a case study, the data of which was provided by the municipality of Roskilde...... in Denmark. The second case study was aimed at solving another regional energy planning scheme, one concerned with already existing houses, the heat requirements of which were currently being met by use of a natural gas grid or a conventional high-temperature district heating network. The idea considered......This PhD thesis presents a summary of a three-year PhD project involving three case studies, each pertaining to a typical regional Danish energy planning scheme with regard to the extensive use of low-energy district heating systems, operating at temperatures as low as 55°C for supply and 25°C...

Contribution of Water Pollution From Inadequate Sanitation and Housing Quality to Diarrheal Disease in Low-Cost Housing Settlements of Cape Town, South Africa

Science.gov (United States)

Barnes, Jo M.; Pieper, Clarissa H.

2011-01-01

Objectives. We investigated the effects of failing sanitation, poor housing conditions, and fecal pollution in runoff water on the health—particularly the incidence of diarrheal disease—of residents of low-cost housing settlements in Cape Town, South Africa. Methods. In November 2009, we conducted a cross-sectional survey with structured interviews in 4 communities (n = 336 dwellings; 1080 persons). We used Colilert defined-substrate technology to determine Escherichia coli levels in runoff water samples taken from the study communities. Results. Almost 15% of households disposed of soiled products in storm water drains and 6% disposed of soiled products in the street. In only 26% of the dwellings were toilets washed daily. Approximately 59% of dwellings lacked a tap near the toilet for hand washing, and 14% of respondents suffered 1 or more attacks of diarrhea in the 2 weeks preceding their interview. E.coli counts of runoff environmental water samples ranged from 750 to 1 580 000 000 per 100 milliliters. Conclusions. A holistic and integrated approach is needed to improve housing quality and sanitation among Cape Town's low-income citizens. PMID:21566018

The support gap: New teachers' early experiences in high-income and low-income schools

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Susan Moore Johnson

2004-10-01

Full Text Available In this article, the authors consider three sources of support for new teachers—hiring practices, relationships with colleagues, and curriculum—all found in earlier research to influence new teachers’ satisfaction with their work, their sense of success with students, and their eventual retention in their job. They find that a "support gap" exists: new teachers in low-income schools are less likely than their counterparts in high-income schools to experience timely and information-rich hiring, to benefit from mentoring and support by experienced colleagues, and to have a curriculum that is complete and aligned with state standards, yet flexible for use in the classroom. Such patterns of difference between high-income and lowincome schools warrant careful consideration because they reveal broad patterns of inequity, which can have severe consequences for low-income students. Survey data for this study were collected from random samples of teachers in five states. One survey, focusing on hiring practices and teachers’ relationships with colleagues, was administered to 374 first-year and secondyear teachers in Florida, Massachusetts, and Michigan. A second survey, focusing on curriculum, was administered to 295 second-year elementary school teachers in Massachusetts, North Carolina, and Washington. The inequitable patterns of support for teachers reported here have important implications for the work of state policymakers, school district administrators, and principals. The authors describe these and offer recommendations for policy and practice in the conclusion.

Travel patterns and characteristics of low-income subpopulation in New York state

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Reuscher, Tim [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Hwang, Ho-Ling [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Lim, Hyeonsup [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

2017-10-01

Studies have shown that people residing in poverty face more mobility challenges in their daily travels as compared to those living in higher income households. In many cities, the lack of a public transportation systems and investments in low-income areas are making it difficult for those living in poverty to access jobs, goods, and services (schools, groceries, health cares, etc. In this study, Oak Ridge National Laboratory was tasked by the New York State (NYS) Department of Transportation to conduct a detailed examination of the travel behaviors and identify patterns and trends of the low-income residents within NYS. The 2009 National Household Travel Survey data was used as the primary information source to analyze subjects associated with poverty and mobility, as well as to address questions such as are there differences in traveler demographics between the low-income population and those of others who live in various NYS regions (e.g., New York City, other urban areas of NYS)? How do they compare with the population at large (e.g., rest of the country) or with findings from previous years (i.e., trend)? Are there any regional differences (e.g., urban versus rural)? Do any unique travel characteristics or patterns exist within the low-income group? Through this study, various key findings on low-income population sizes, household characteristics, travel patterns, and mobility limitations were identified and summarized in this report.

Housing Habits and Their Implications for Life-cycle Consumption and Investment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kraft, Holger; Munk, Claus; Wagner, Sebastian

2017-01-01

We solve a rich life-cycle model of household decisions involving consumption of perishable goods and housing services, habit formation for housing consumption, stochastic labor income, stochastic house prices, home renting and owning, stock investments, and portfolio constraints. In line...... with empirical observations, the optimal decisions involve (i) stock investments that are low or zero for many young agents and then gradually increasing over life, (ii) an age- and wealth-dependent housing expenditure share, (iii) non-housing consumption being significantly more sensitive to wealth and income...

Legislated changes to federal pension income in Canada will adversely affect low income seniors' health.

Science.gov (United States)

Emery, J C Herbert; Fleisch, Valerie C; McIntyre, Lynn

2013-12-01

This study uses a population health intervention modeling approach to project the impact of recent legislated increases in age eligibility for Canadian federally-funded pension benefits on low income seniors' health, using food insecurity as a health indicator. Food insecurity prevalence and income source were assessed for unattached low income (seniors aged 65-69 years (population weighted n=151,485) using public use data from the Canadian Community Health Survey Cycle 4.1 (2007-2008). Seniors' benefits through federal public pension plans constituted the main source of income for the majority (79.4%) of low income seniors aged 65-69 years, in contrast to low income seniors aged 60-64 years who reported their main income from employment, employment insurance, Workers' Compensation, or welfare. The increase in income provided by federal pension benefits for low income Canadians 65 and over coincided with a pronounced (50%) decrease in food insecurity prevalence (11.6% for seniors ≥65 years versus 22.8% for seniors seniors' benefits in Canada from 65 to 67 years will negatively impact low income seniors' health, relegating those who are food insecure to continued hardship. © 2013.

76 FR 20698 - Notice of Proposed Information Collection for Public Comment; Public Housing Agency (PHA) 5-Year...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-04-13

... comprehensive guide to PHA policies, programs, operations, and strategies for meeting local housing needs and... low, very low-income, and extremely low-income families and its strategy for addressing those needs.... Members of the Affected Public: Local, Regional and State Body Corporate Politic Public Housing Agencies...

Tailoring science education graduate programs to the needs of science educators in low-income countries

Science.gov (United States)

Lunetta, Vincent N.; van den Berg, Euwe

Science education graduate programs in high-income countries frequently enroll students from low-income countries. Upon admission these students have profiles of knowledge, skills, and experiences which can be quite different from those of students from the host high-income countries. Upon graduation, they will normally return to work in education systems with conditions which differ greatly from those in high-income countries. This article attempts to clarify some of the differences and similarities between such students. It offers suggestions for making graduate programs more responsive to the special needs of students from low-income countries and to the opportunities they offer for enhancing cross-cultural sensitivity. Many of the suggestions can be incorporated within existing programs through choices of elective courses and topics for papers, projects, and research. Many references are provided to relevant literature on cultural issues and on science education in low-income countries.

Widening Income Inequalities: Higher Education's Role in Serving Low Income Students

Science.gov (United States)

Dalton, Jon C.; Crosby, Pamela C.

2015-01-01

Many scholars argue that America is becoming a dangerously divided nation because of increasing inequality, especially in income distribution. This article examines the problem of widening income inequality with particular focus on the role that colleges and universities and their student affairs organizations play in serving low income students…

How healthy and sustainable is the Dutch housing mix? Measuring and comparing the theoretical housing market balance of Dutch regional housing markets

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Leonie B. Janssen-Jansen

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Housing and its distribution over groups of households dominates debates on urban socio-spatial justice. Amsterdam even received the label ‘Just City’ as the large stock of social housing in the core of the city is said to increase societal equity. Within the Netherlands, however, the Greater Amsterdam housing market is perceived to be the most dysfunctional. As the discussion is fed by highly political and ideological perspectives, it is difficult to assess at face value how balanced the housing mix of a housing market is and to what extent it meets the community’s needs. Consequently, it is difficult to inform politicians about strategies that contribute to a healthy and sustainable housing mix and address the lack of affordable housing which is high on urban policy agendas worldwide. In an attempt to go beyond ideological and political discussions, the aim of this interdisciplinary paper is to develop a metric to measure and compare the theoretical balance of housing markets across regions and across groups of households based on income. The metric will be applied to the case of the Netherlands. The findings of the theoretical model show that large-scale provisions for low-income households may not always result in an improved housing market balance.

Assessment of existing local houses condition as analysis tools for shore housing improvement program in Weriagar district, Bintuni Bay

Science.gov (United States)

Firmansyah, F.; Fernando, A.; Allo, I. P. R.

2018-01-01

The housing assessment is a part of the pre-feasibility study inThe Shore Housing Improvement Program in Weriagar District, West Papua. The housing assessment was conducted to identify the physical condition of existing houses. The parameters of assessment formulated from local references, practices and also national building regulation that covers each building system components, such as building structure/frame, building floor, building cover, and building roof. This study aims to explains lessons from local practices and references, used as the formula to generate assessment parameter, elaborate with Indonesia building regulation. The result of housing assessment were used as a basis to develop the house improvement strategy, the design alternative for housing improvement and further planning recommendations. The local knowledges involved in housing improvement program expected that the local-based approach could respect to the local build culture, respect the local environment, and the most important can offer best suitable solutions for functional utility and livability.

76 FR 5518 - Federal Housing Administration (FHA): Refinancing an Existing Cooperative Under Section 207...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-02-01

... project is for rental or cooperative housing, HUD's regulations limit section 223(f) financing to rental... financing to rental projects. A recent HUD report on U.S. Housing Market Conditions \\2\\ indicated that... provide that ``a mortgage financing the purchase or refinance of an existing rental housing project or...

Narrowing the Early Mathematics Gap: A Play-Based Intervention to Promote Low-Income Preschoolers’ Number Skills

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nicole R. Scalise

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Preschoolers from low-income households lag behind preschoolers from middle-income households on numerical skills that underlie later mathematics achievement. However, it is unknown whether these gaps exist on parallel measures of symbolic and non-symbolic numerical skills. Experiment 1 indicated preschoolers from low-income backgrounds were less accurate than peers from middle-income backgrounds on a measure of symbolic magnitude comparison, but they performed equivalently on a measure of non-symbolic magnitude comparison. This suggests activities linking non-symbolic and symbolic number representations may be used to support children’s numerical knowledge. Experiment 2 randomly assigned low-income preschoolers (Mean Age = 4.7 years to play either a numerical magnitude comparison or a numerical matching card game across four 15 min sessions over a 3-week period. The magnitude comparison card game led to significant improvements in participants’ symbolic magnitude comparison skills in an immediate posttest assessment. Following the intervention, low-income participants performed equivalently to an age- and gender-matched sample of middle-income preschoolers in symbolic magnitude comparison. These results suggest a brief intervention that combines non-symbolic and symbolic magnitude representations can support low-income preschoolers’ early numerical knowledge.

Improving the location of low income housing delivery in South African urban areas.

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Biermann, SM

2007-07-01

Full Text Available This finding suggests the need for a range of different housing typologies, with 'higher cost / higher potential benefit' housing typologies on scarce well-located land allocated to those with the best chance of exploiting those potential benefits...

HOUSING THE URBAN POOR: AN INTEGRATED GOVERNANCE PERSPECTIVE : The Case of Dhaka, Bangladesh

OpenAIRE

Nahiduzzaman, Kh. Md.

2012-01-01

It is claimed that low-income people in Dhaka city do not have the financial ability to enjoy adecent housing environment. There is a clear lack of knowledge on how low-income people,drawing upon both their available income together and support from formal financial institutions,would be able to afford housing. It is commonly considered a fact that their access to formalfinancial means is largely hindered by their poor financial status, along with the absence of anyform of land tenure securit...

House owners’ experience and satisfaction with Danish low-energy houses

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Knudsen, Henrik Nellemose; Kragh, Jesper

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study was to identify experience and satisfaction with new Danish detached low-energy single-family houses. A questionnaire survey was carried out in the autumn of 2013 among owners of newly built energy class 2015 houses. It included i.a. questions on their overall satisfacti...

Planning of Low-rise Urban Housing Areas

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Svensson, O.

In many countries industrialization of house building has led to the building of large, monotonous housing areas with high-rise construction. In Denmark, however, smaller, varied housing areas with low-rise construction and urban features have become predominant. This report contains guidelines...... for the planning of such housing areas....

Gender Differences in Caregiver Emotion Socialization of Low-Income Toddlers

Science.gov (United States)

Chaplin, Tara M.; Casey, James; Sinha, Rajita; Mayes, Linda C.

2010-01-01

Low-income children are at elevated risk for emotion-related problems; however, little research has examined gender and emotion socialization in low-income families. The authors describe the ways in which emotion socialization may differ for low-income versus middle-income families. They also present empirical data on low-income caregivers'…

Sleep and quality of life in urban poverty: the effect of a slum housing upgrading program.

Science.gov (United States)

Simonelli, Guido; Leanza, Yvan; Boilard, Alexandra; Hyland, Martín; Augustinavicius, Jura L; Cardinali, Daniel P; Vallières, Annie; Pérez-Chada, Daniel; Vigo, Daniel E

2013-11-01

To evaluate the effect of a housing transition on sleep quality and quality of life in slum dwellers, participating in a slum housing upgrading program. Observational before-and-after study with a convergent-parallel mixed method design. Five slums located in the metropolitan area of Buenos Aires, Argentina. A total of 150 slum dwellers benefited by a housing program of the nonprofit organization TECHO (spanish word for "roof"). Participants moved from their very low-quality house to a basic prefabricated 18 m(2) modular house provided by TECHO. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and World Health Organization Quality of Life brief scale (WHOQOL-BREF) were administered before and after housing upgrading. Data about housing conditions, income, education, sleeping conditions, and cardiovascular risk were also collected. Semistructured interviews were used to expand and nuance quantitative data obtained from a poorly educated sample. Results showed that sleep quality significantly increased after the housing program (z = -6.57, P urban settlements could help to define what kind of low-cost intervention may improve sleep quality, quality of life, and reduce existent sleep disparity.

24 CFR 888.115 - Fair market rents for existing housing: Manner of publication.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 4 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Fair market rents for existing..., SECTION 202 DIRECT LOAN PROGRAM, SECTION 202 SUPPORTIVE HOUSING FOR THE ELDERLY PROGRAM AND SECTION 811... MARKET RENTS AND CONTRACT RENT ANNUAL ADJUSTMENT FACTORS Fair Market Rents § 888.115 Fair market rents...

Optimal Life Cycle Portfolio Choice with Housing Market Cycles

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fischer, Marcel; Stamos, Michael Z.

2013-01-01

income, and pre-existing housing wealth but also the state of the housing market significantly affect household decisions. Consistently with the data, the model predicts that in good states of housing market cycles (1) homeownership rates increase, (2) households buying homes invest a larger share......In recent decades U.S. households have experienced residential house prices moving persistently, that is, returns being positively serially correlated. We set up a realistically calibrated life cycle model with slow-moving time variation in expected housing returns, showing that not only age, labor...

Resource handbook for low-income residential retrofits

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Callaway, J.W.; Brenchley, D.L.; Davis, L.J.; Ivey, D.L.; Smith, S.A.; Westergard, E.J.

1987-04-01

The purpose of the handbook is to provide technical assistance to state grantees participating in the Partnerships in Low-Income Residential Retrofit (PILIRR) Program. PILIRR is a demonstration program aimed at identifying innovative, successful approaches to developing public and private support for weatherization of low-income households. The program reflects the basic concept that responsibility for financial support for conservation activities such as low-income residential retrofitting is likely to gradually shift from the DOE to the states and the private sector. In preparing the handbook, PNL staff surveyed over 50 programs that provide assistance to low-income residents. The survey provided information on factors that contribute to successful programs. PNL also studied the winning PILIRR proposals (from the states of Florida, Iowa, Kentucky, Oklahoma and Washington) and identified the approaches proposed and the type of information that would be most helpful in implementing these approaches.

Popular housing finance: how the fgts funds are being used

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Matheus Fernando Moro

2016-08-01

Full Text Available In order to meet the housing shortage, was created popular housing programs for low-income families. In Brazil, these programs differs from the rest of the world, since here the programs are directed to the acquisition of real estate, unlike the rest of the world where the focus is lower rents for low-income families. In the context, this type of program has also been used as a tool against economic crises. Based on these aspects, this article aims to identify how the FGTS funds are being used regarding the housing finance. To perform this analysis was studied the targeting of FGTS funds for social housing in Brazil, thus demonstrating, a convincing growth in this modality and also an exchange preferably after the year 2009, of used real estates to new ones.

Satisfaction Perception of Indoor Environment of Low-cost Housing: A case study of Flat Taman Desa Sentosa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohamed Mohd Farid

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Low-Cost Flat Housing is the housing for low income group.. It began with a flat which has two bedrooms in each unit, then it was increased three bedrooms. The three bedrooms flat has to fit the floor area of 650 square feet, in which was later revised to 700 square feet. Small overall floor area which comes with small budget allocated for its construction, could lead to poor indoor environmental quality (IEQ in low-cost flat, if not properly designed. This paper discusses on the occupants’ satisfaction perception of IEQ of a low cost flat in Kampung Teras Jernang, Selangor. The methodologies used in this study are site observation and questionnaire survey. This study concludes that the IEQ in the selected low-cost flat has acceptably fulfilled the needs and quality required by the occupants. However, there is a factor that the building occupants have expressed poor perception, which is the noise pollution.

Bamboo may be the answer to Ethiopia's growing housing needs ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

... assesses the potential of bamboo to meet East Africa's urgent housing needs. ... However, modernization, the decreasing availability of bamboo resources, ... the construction of tourist lodges and low-income urban housing which would be a ...

NorthernSTAR 1-½-Story Demonstration House of Cold Climate Solutions for Affordable Housing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schirber, T. [Univ. of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN (United States); Ojczyk, C. [Univ. of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN (United States); Jacobson, R. [Univ. of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN (United States)

2016-03-01

This demonstration project is an example of three high-performance measures applied to one house in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The selected vacant home was completely renovated by Urban Homeworks (UHW), which is a nonprofit housing partner, with the intent of selling the home to a low-income family. The renovation included the addition of the three advanced-performance technologies that were applied to the overall scope of the project.

RENTAL INCOME AND CAP RATES: A COMPARISON OF THE LISBON AND PORTO HOUSING MARKETS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

António C. MOREIRA

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The goal of this article is to analyse the relationship between rental income and capitalisation rates when real estate value is assessed in parishes of the Lisbon and Porto municipalities. Based on housing market values in euros per square metre during the 2006-2009 period, the income approach was used to compare the two main types of apartments (i.e. B2, or two-bedroom, and B1, or one-bedroom in Lisbon and Porto. We used the capital asset pricing model to calculate the risk measure. The cluster analysis was used to group the Lisbon and Porto parishes according to their rental income and capitalisation rates. Regressions were used to model both geographical markets. Clear differences were found between Porto and Lisbon, the results being more robust for the Porto municipality in regard to B2 apartments. Moreover, rental income is inversely proportional to capitalisation rates for B1 apartments for Porto parishes, which means that there is an initial overinvestment.

Application of earth building materials for low-income housing in the ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The characteristics, properties, problems and other factors associated with earth materials for building houses, especially in the tropical regions of the world are identified. The inter-relationships among these factors which inhibit the adoption of earth materials and the recommendations for overcoming the problems in a ...

24 CFR 1000.104 - What families are eligible for affordable housing activities?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... affordable housing activities? 1000.104 Section 1000.104 Housing and Urban Development Regulations Relating... Activities § 1000.104 What families are eligible for affordable housing activities? The following families... Indian area. (b) A non-low income Indian family may receive housing assistance in accordance with § 1000...

42 CFR 457.310 - Targeted low-income child.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... family income at or below 200 percent of the Federal poverty line for a family of the size involved; (ii... 42 Public Health 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Targeted low-income child. 457.310 Section 457.310... Requirements: Eligibility, Screening, Applications, and Enrollment § 457.310 Targeted low-income child. (a...

What is a low-energy house and who cares?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Litt, B.R.

1994-12-01

Most energy analysts view low-energy houses as good things, yet differ in their expectations of what exactly a low energy house is. There are two intertwining threads to this report. The first is an evaluation of 50 buildings that have been claimed to be low-energy residences, for which monitored energy performance data have been collected. These data represent the preliminary effort in the ongoing update of the Buildings Energy-Use Compilation and Analysis (BECA) data base for new residences. The second thread concerns the definition of a low-energy house. After the elements of a definition are presented, their implications for actors involved in providing housing are identified. Several more tractable definitions are applied to the houses in this compilation. The outcomes illustrate ways in which different interests are served by various definitions. Different definitions can yield very different energy rankings. No single definition of a low-energy house is universally applicable.

Correlates of healthy life expectancy in low- and lower-middle-income countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Islam, Md Shariful; Mondal, Md Nazrul Islam; Tareque, Md Ismail; Rahman, Md Aminur; Hoque, Md Nazrul; Ahmed, Md Munsur; Khan, Hafiz T A

2018-04-11

Healthy life expectancy (HALE) at birth is an important indicator of health status and quality of life of a country's population. However, little is known about the determinants of HALE as yet globally or even country-specific level. Thus, we examined the factors that are associated with HALE at birth in low- and lower-middle-income countries. In accordance with the World Bank (WB) classification seventy-nine low- and lower-middle-income countries were selected for the study. Data on HALE, demographic, socioeconomic, social structural, health, and environmental factors from several reliable sources, such as the World Health Organization, the United Nations Development Program, Population Reference Bureau, WB, Heritage Foundation, Transparency International, Freedom House, and International Center for Prison Studies were obtained as selected countries. Descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and regression analysis were performed to reach the research objectives. The lowest and highest HALE were observed in Sierra Leone (44.40 years) and in Sri Lanka (67.00 years), respectively. The mean years of schooling, total fertility rate (TFR), physician density, gross national income per capita, health expenditure, economic freedom, carbon dioxide emission rate, freedom of the press, corruption perceptions index, prison population rate, and achieving a level of health-related millennium development goals (MDGs) were revealed as the correlates of HALE. Among all the correlates, the mean years of schooling, TFR, freedom of the press, and achieving a level of health-related MDGs were found to be the most influential factors. To increase the HALE in low- and lower-middle-income countries, we suggest that TFR is to be reduced as well as to increase the mean years of schooling, freedom of the press, and the achievement of a level of health-related MDGs.

Architectural Quality of Low Energy Houses

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lauring, Michael; Marsh, Rob

2008-01-01

This paper expounds a systematic vocabulary concerning architectural quality in houses in general and low energy houses in particular. The vocabulary consists of nine themes. Inside each theme, examples are given of how to achieve both architectural quality and good environmental performance....... The purpose is to provide a useful tool for communication and argumentation in order to further integrated design of houses with good architecture and good environmental performance. ...

Measurement and verification of low income energy efficiency programs in Brazil: Methodological challenges

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Martino Jannuzzi, Gilberto De; Rodrigues da Silva, Ana Lucia; Melo, Conrado Augustus de; Paccola, Jose Angelo; Dourado Maia Gomes, Rodolfo (State Univ. of Campinas, International Energy Initiative (Brazil))

2009-07-01

Electric utilities in Brazil are investing about 80 million dollars annually in low-income energy efficiency programs, about half of their total compulsory investments in end-use efficiency programs under current regulation. Since 2007 the regulator has enforced the need to provide evaluation plans for the programs delivered. This paper presents the measurement and verification (MandV) methodology that has been developed to accommodate the characteristics of lighting and refrigerator programs that have been introduced in the Brazilian urban and peri-urban slums. A combination of household surveys, end-use measurements and metering at the transformers and grid levels were performed before and after the program implementation. The methodology has to accommodate the dynamics, housing, electrical wiring and connections of the population as well as their ability to pay for the electricity and program participation. Results obtained in slums in Rio de Janeiro are presented. Impacts of the programs were evaluated in energy terms to households and utilities. Feedback from the evaluations performed also permitted the improvement in the design of new programs for low-income households.

Exposing and addressing tobacco industry conduct in low-income and middle-income countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Gilmore, Anna B; Fooks, Gary; Drope, Jeffrey; Bialous, Stella Aguinaga; Jackson, Rachel Rose

2015-03-14

The tobacco industry's future depends on increasing tobacco use in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs), which face a growing burden of tobacco-related disease, yet have potential to prevent full-scale escalation of this epidemic. To drive up sales the industry markets its products heavily, deliberately targeting non-smokers and keeps prices low until smoking and local economies are sufficiently established to drive prices and profits up. The industry systematically flaunts existing tobacco control legislation and works aggressively to prevent future policies using its resource advantage to present highly misleading economic arguments, rebrand political activities as corporate social responsibility, and establish and use third parties to make its arguments more palatable. Increasingly it is using domestic litigation and international arbitration to bully LMICs from implementing effective policies and hijacking the problem of tobacco smuggling for policy gain, attempting to put itself in control of an illegal trade in which there is overwhelming historical evidence of its complicity. Progress will not be realised until tobacco industry interference is actively addressed as outlined in Article 5.3 of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. Exemplar LMICs show this action can be achieved and indicate that exposing tobacco industry misconduct is an essential first step. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Housing, energy cost, and the poor: Counteracting effects in Germany's housing allowance program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Groesche, Peter

2010-01-01

Adequate housing and affordable warmth are essential human needs, the lack of which may seriously harm people's health. Germany provides an allowance to low-income households, covering the housing as well as the space heating cost, to protect people from the consequences of poor housing conditions and fuel poverty. In order to limit public expenditures, payment recipients are required to choose low-cost dwellings, with the consequence that they probably occupy flats with a poor thermal performance. Recipients might therefore exhibit a lower per-square meter rent but in turn are likely to have a higher energy consumption and energy expenditures. Using a large data set of German households, this paper demonstrates that this financially counteracting effect is of negligible magnitude.

Natural gas in low energy house Zittau

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maertens, L.; Koschack, A.

1999-01-01

This paper describes a low-energy house in Zittau, Germany. The house consists of two parts A and B. Part A is heated by means of gas boilers and condensed boilers, while part B is solar heated. Energy for heating and warming of tap water is an important part of the primary energy consumption in Germany. Therefore, one way of reducing the CO2 emissions is to reduce the heat losses of buildings through outer facades and air ventilation, to use regenerative energy sources, to use fuels with low CO2 emissivity like natural gas, and to install efficient heating- and hot water preparation systems. The low-energy house in Zittau is used for energy research

42 CFR 435.229 - Optional targeted low-income children.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Optional targeted low-income children. 435.229... Coverage of Families and Children § 435.229 Optional targeted low-income children. The agency may provide Medicaid to— (a) All individuals under age 19 who are optional targeted low-income children as defined in...

Coping with low incomes and cold homes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anderson, Will; White, Vicki; Finney, Andrea

2012-01-01

This paper presents findings from a study of low-income households in Great Britain which explored households’ strategies for coping both with limited financial resources in the winter months, when demand for domestic energy increases, and, in some cases, with cold homes. The study combined a national survey of 699 households with an income below 60 per cent of national median income with in-depth interviews with a subsample of 50 households. The primary strategy adopted by low-income households to cope with financial constraint was to reduce spending, including spending on essentials such as food and fuel, and thereby keep up with core financial commitments. While spending on food was usually reduced by cutting the range and quality of food purchased, spending on energy was usually reduced by cutting consumption. Sixty-three per cent of low-income households had cut their energy consumption in the previous winter and 47 per cent had experienced cold homes. Improvements to the thermal performance of homes reduced but did not eliminate the risk of going cold as any heating cost could be a burden to households on the lowest incomes. Householders’ attitudes were central to their coping strategies, with most expressing a determination to ‘get by’ come what may.

HUD Program Income Limits

Data.gov (United States)

Department of Housing and Urban Development — Income limits used to determine the income eligibility of applicants for assistance under three programs authorized by the National Housing Act. These programs are...

Housing and Education Partnerships: A Case Study of Akron, Ohio

Science.gov (United States)

de Leon, Edwin; Saxena, Priya D.

2015-01-01

The housing and education sectors are being asked to do more with fewer resources. School districts often struggle to meet the needs of low-income students who deal with challenges outside of school and to connect them to resources that can strengthen their academic competencies. Public housing authorities and other assisted-housing providers…

Housing and Education Partnerships: A Case Study of Vancouver, Washington

Science.gov (United States)

Galvez, Martha; Simington, Jasmine

2015-01-01

The housing and education sectors are being asked to do more with fewer resources. School districts often struggle to meet the needs of low-income students who deal with challenges outside of school and to connect them to resources that can strengthen their academic competencies. Public housing authorities and other assisted-housing providers…

Effects of low income on infant health.

Science.gov (United States)

Séguin, Louise; Xu, Qian; Potvin, Louise; Zunzunegui, Maria-Victoria; Frohlich, Katherine L

2003-06-10

Few population-based studies have analyzed the link between poverty and infant morbidity. In this study, we wanted to determine whether inadequate income itself has an impact on infant health. We interviewed 2223 mothers of 5-month-old children participating in the 1998 phase of the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development to determine their infant's health and the sociodemographic characteristics of the household (including household income, breast-feeding and the smoking habits of the mother). Data on the health of the infants at birth were taken from medical records. We examined the effects of household income using Statistics Canada definitions of sufficient (above the low-income threshold), moderately inadequate (between 60% and 99% of the low-income threshold) and inadequate (below 60% of the low-income threshold) income on the mother's assessment of her child's overall health, her report of her infant's chronic health problems and her report of the number of times, if any, her child had been admitted to hospital since birth. In the analysis, we controlled for factors known to affect infant health: infant characteristics and neonatal health problems, the mother's level of education, the presence or absence of a partner, the duration of breast-feeding and the mother's smoking status. Compared with infants in households with sufficient incomes, those in households with lower incomes were more likely to be judged by their mothers to be in less than excellent health (moderately inadequate incomes: adjusted odds ratio [OR] 1.5, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.1-2.1; very inadequate incomes: adjusted OR 1.8, 95% CI 1.3-2.6). Infants in households with moderately inadequate incomes were more likely to have been admitted to hospital (adjusted OR 1.8, 95% CI 1.2-2.6) than those in households with sufficient incomes, but the same was not true of infants in households with very inadequate incomes (adjusted OR 0.7, 95% CI 0.4-1.2). Household income did not

The persistent gap in health-care coverage between low- and high-income workers in Washington State: BRFSS, 2003-2007.

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, Z Joyce; Anderson, Naomi J; Foley, Michael; Rauser, Eddy; Silverstein, Barbara A

2011-01-01

We examined the disparities in health-care coverage between low- and high-income workers in Washington State (WA) to provide support for possible policy decisions for uninsured workers. We examined data from the WA Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System 2003-2007 and compared workers aged 18-64 years of low income (annual household income income (annual household income ≥$35,000) on proportions and sources of health-care coverage. We conducted multivariable logistic regression analyses on factors that were associated with the uninsured. Of the 54,536 survey respondents who were working-age adults in WA, 13,922 (25.5%) were low-income workers. The proportions of uninsured were 38.2% for low-income workers and 6.3% for high-income workers. While employment-based health benefits remained a dominant source of health insurance coverage, they covered only 40.2% of low-income workers relative to 81.5% of high-income workers. Besides income, workers were more likely to be uninsured if they were younger; male; Hispanic; less educated; not married; current smokers; self-employed; or employed in agriculture/forestry/fisheries, construction, and retail. More low-income workers (28.7%) reported cost as an issue in paying for health services than did their high-income counterparts (6.7%). A persistent gap in health-care coverage exists between low- and high-income workers. The identified characteristics of these workers can be used to implement policies to expand health insurance coverage.

Barriers to installing innovative energy systems in existing housing stock identified

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hoppe, Thomas

2013-01-01

Several barriers to upgrading existing social housing with innovative energy systems (IES) have been identified by a study of eight large-scale renovation projects in the Netherlands. These include a lack of trust between stakeholders, opposition from tenants on grounds of increased costs or delays,

The Improvement of the Ventilation System in the Existing Terraced Houses in Malaysia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arab Yasser

2016-01-01

Full Text Available This study aims to find a sustainable solution in order to reduce the indoor temperature in hot and humid climate such as Malaysia. The focus of this study is to create a new device (Air Tube which is considered to be a remedial device for the indoor spaces, and can be installed for the existed houses. The method of this study is to design the Air Tube device and install is in the rooms of second floor in semi-detached and terrace house in order to reduce the temperature few degrees. The study will depend on taking manual measurements in the site and making simulation using computer software Ecotect on 14th of February (which considered to be the hottest day in the year and trying to find the best solution to reduce the temperature in such hot and humid weather, the case study is a semi-detach house with post-modern architectural style, which is located in Sungai Petani, Kedah, Malaysia. The research finds that AirTubeis a good solution for the existed houses to decrease the temperature and reach the thermal comfortable atmosphere.

Predicting Child Protective Services (CPS) Involvement among Low-Income U.S. Families with Young Children Receiving Nutritional Assistance.

Science.gov (United States)

Slack, Kristen S; Font, Sarah; Maguire-Jack, Kathryn; Berger, Lawrence M

2017-10-11

This exploratory study examines combinations of income-tested welfare benefits and earnings, as they relate to the likelihood of child maltreatment investigations among low-income families with young children participating in a nutritional assistance program in one U.S. state (Wisconsin). Using a sample of 1065 parents who received the Special Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) benefits in late 2010 and early 2011, we find that relying on either work in the absence of other means-tested welfare benefits, or a combination of work and welfare benefits, reduces the likelihood of CPS involvement compared to parents who rely on welfare benefits in the absence of work. Additionally, we find that housing instability increases the risk of CPS involvement in this population. The findings from this investigation may be useful to programs serving low-income families with young children, as they attempt to identify safety net resources for their clientele.

Precooked beans for food, nutrition, and income in Kenya and Uganda

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

increase bean consumption, improve diets, reduce time ... are also a key source of protein among low income house- holds. In recent years, the rapid expansion of urban popula- tions, rising incomes, and high costs of energy have fuelled.

Effect of Our Nation's Housing Policy on Homelessness. Hearing before the Ad Hoc Task Force on the Homeless and Housing of the Committee on the Budget, House of Representatives. One Hundredth Congress, Second Session.

Science.gov (United States)

Congress of the U.S., Washington, DC. House Committee on the Budget.

According to Congressman Charles E. Schumer in his opening statement, the deqrease in Federal housing funds is inextricably linked to the increase in homelessness. Since 1981 the Reagan Administration has been systematically dismantling the nation's housing programs, leaving tens of thousands of low-income people homeless. In 1982 there were 1,088…

Energy efficiency in existing detached housing

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gram-Hanssen, Kirsten; Christensen, Toke Haunstrup

This memo is written as an input to the German project Enef-haus on energy- efficient restoration of single-family houses in Germany. The memo contains a summary of the Danish experiences divided into three main sections: first is a short historic overview of the Danish energy policy indicating...... when different relevant instruments have been introduced to increase the energy efficiency of privately owned single-family houses. Second is a short introduction to the Danish housing sector and its energy supplies. The third and main part of the report is an examination of the most recent...

Resiliency and affordability of housing design, Kampong Cieunteung-Bale Endah in Bandung Regency as a case study

Science.gov (United States)

Nurdini, Allis; Yovita, Wanda; Negri, Patriot

2017-12-01

Recently the discussion about resiliency and housing design has been fast developed, including design for housing on riverfront as marginal area that usually occupied by low income people. The low income people generally will be the worst affected community in flood disaster situation, because of their un-affordability to achieve quality housing design. In other side, the funding support capacity especially from the local government is limited, so that the resilient environment also need to be supported by the community itself. In this context, the study about low income people's affordability to achieve resilient housing design is essential. This study was conducted to identify two important points: the design choice and the affordability level of resilient housing from the community viewpoints. Kampong Cieunteung, in Bale Endah Area, Bandung Regency is chosen as a case study, because this area annually experience severe flood from overflow of the Citarum River branch. In preliminary research phase, approximately 60% of the Kampong Cieunteung's resident need to stay and become indication that the community need resilient housing design to accommodate their live hood. The next phase, the contingent valuation method was implemented to gain resilient design choice and affordability perspective from the community. It is concluded that the community have ability to choose the resilient housing design based on their aspiration and based on their ability to pay. The result indicates that resilient housing design should have character of optional, module co-operational, and incremental to be afforded by the low income people.

Assessment of current techniques for reduction of indoor radon concentration in existing and new houses in European countries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Holmgren, O.; Arvela, H.

2012-03-01

Radon control technologies aim at the reduction of indoor radon concentrations in existing buildings and in new construction through remedial and preventive measures. In recent years, rising ecological awareness and rising energy costs have stimulated the development of low energy and passive houses to save energy. This report contains the analysis and assessment of current techniques and technologies used to achieve the reduction of indoor radon concentrations in existing and new houses with regard to the reduction efficiency and potential impact on energy consumption (qualitative analysis). A questionnaire was prepared and sent to all RADPAR partners in 14 different countries in order to gather national information about the current remediation and prevention techniques. Responses with variable amounts of information were obtained. Based on the questionnaire responses, the status of radon remediation and prevention in each country was assessed, in addition to the reduction efficiency and potential impact on energy consumption of the current remediation and prevention techniques. The number of dwellings with an elevated indoor radon concentration typically ranges from tens of thousands to a million. The percentage of these houses already remediated varies from zero to 15%. Preventive measures in new construction have been taken from a small number of houses to over half a million houses. The research data on the current situation, the number of houses with preventive measures and the efficiency of these measures is currently still quite inadequate. Assessment of the techniques and also the surveys aiming at exploring the impact of remedial and preventive measures is greatly needed in order to promote the work at the national level. The most efficient remediation method is the active sub-slab depressurization (SSD) and the radon well, for which the reduction in the radon concentration is typically 70 - 95%. Other methods, such as sealing entry routes and improving

Housing and Education Partnerships: A Case Study of New Haven, Connecticut

Science.gov (United States)

Leopold, Josh; Simington, Jasmine

2015-01-01

The housing and education sectors are being asked to do more with fewer resources. School districts often struggle to meet the needs of low-income students who deal with challenges outside of school and to connect them to resources that can strengthen their academic competencies. Public housing authorities and other assisted-housing providers…

Finance for incremental housing: current status and prospects for expansion

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ferguson, B.; Smets, P.G.S.M.

2010-01-01

Appropriate finance can greatly increase the speed and lower the cost of incremental housing - the process used by much of the low/moderate-income majority of most developing countries to acquire shelter. Informal finance continues to dominate the funding of incremental housing. However, new sources

Smart solutions for low-income buildings rehabilitation: international researches and experiences

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eugenio Arbizzani

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Smart City concept briefly refers to a sustainable city where innovative Smart strategies will be adopted to an efficient management of resources flows and social interoperability. Aligned with the most relevant European research experiences, the paper describes the relations between an on-going research from the PDTA Dept., centered on a knowledge platform tool for energy-efficient interactive buildings design, and the contribution of the ELIH-MED project on the use of industrialized solutions and smart devices during the rehabilitation process in Mediterranean low-income housings. A pilot project in the Spanish climate context reveals the important role of Smart Monitoring Devices to encourage energy savings and tackle recognized needs through a participative process where stakeholders and beneficiaries are actively involved.

Management of severe acute malnutrition in low-income and middle-income countries

Science.gov (United States)

Kwashiorkor and marasmus, collectively termed severe acute malnutrition (SAM), account for at least 10% of all deaths among children under 5 years of age worldwide, virtually all of them in low-income and middle-income countries. A number of risk factors, including seasonal food insecurity, environm...

National Roadmaps for promotion of very low-energy house concepts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Buvik, Karin

2012-07-01

This report is meant to contribute to the preparation of National Energy Efficiency Action Plans (NEEAPs), which are tools supporting the implementation of energy efficiency improvement policies. The NEEAPs are considered one of the cornerstones of the Energy End-use Efficiency and Energy Services Directive. Previous publications from the NorthPass project report from studies of existing concepts and building standards in the participating countries, and analyses of main challenges in aiming to increase the market share of very low-energy houses. In this report a short overview of the current situation is given, and measures are proposed to support the implementation of the nearly Zero-Energy Building level, as described in the recast of the Energy Performance of Building Directive. Necessary steps towards a successful implementation will vary within the participating countries; involving technological, financial and policy implications in various degrees. The eight North European countries, participating in the NorthPass project, have similarities and differences. The four Nordic countries have several similarities regarding market penetration of very low-energy houses, as well as activities implemented by the authorities. Poland and the Baltic States have similarities in terms of market situation which is different from the Nordic countries. In the Nordic countries, the path towards the EU 2020 targets has, to a large extent, been chosen, focusing on step by step tightening of building codes, financial incentives and training of actors in the building sector. A discussion is going on about how to affect changes in customers' preferences, which would lead to a growing demand for very low-energy residential buildings. The situation in Poland and the Baltic countries is more problematic, as only few very low energy houses have been built so far. However, a growing interest in energy savings seems to arise, as the energy consumption is considerably high and the

Radon in HUD assisted multifamily housing: Policy recommendations to the Congress

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1991-04-01

The report complies with Section 1091 of the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Amendments Act of 1988 which requires that the HUD Secretary report to the Congress on a recommended policy for addressing radon contamination in specified housing. The housing specified in the Act is virtually all rental housing predominantly for low-income and moderate-income households. Almost all of it is multifamily housing: row houses, walk-up apartment buildings, or high-rise buildings. There is inadequate information on the extent to which excessive concentrations of radon occur above the first floor of multistory buildings and on the variation in radon concentrations in attached houses in the same row. HUD's recommended policy is in the four topic areas specified in the Act: research, education, testing, and mitigation

The Hayden House Program: Community Involvement in the Arts.

Science.gov (United States)

Hampton, Grace

1979-01-01

Describes an arts and crafts program initiated at Hayden House, a low-income, racially integrated housing development in Phoenix, Arizona. The program, designed to promote pride and community cohesion, presented workshops and cultural events for both children and adults. This article is part of a theme issue on multicultural art. (SJL)

Housing markets and housing policies in India

OpenAIRE

Tiwari, Piyush; Rao, Jyoti

2016-01-01

Issues of housing in India are synonymous with ignorance of housing in active government involvement at the policy and program formulation levels. They are also due to the problems that unplanned urbanization, income disparity, poverty, illiteracy, and unemployment brought. These issues extenuated the housing problem, causing a housing shortage of 51 million in 2011. Though India has a long history of establishing policies, programs, and institutions to cater to housing, without allocating ad...

Effectiveness of a Reduced-Risk Insecticide Based Bed Bug Management Program in Low-Income Housing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Narinderpal Singh

2013-11-01

Full Text Available Bed bug (Cimex lectularius L. infestations are becoming increasingly common in low-income communities. Once they are introduced, elimination is very difficult. As part of the efforts to develop effective and safe bed bug management programs, we conducted a laboratory study evaluating the efficacy of a reduced-risk insecticide—Alpine aerosol (0.5% dinotefuran. We then conducted a field evaluation of a reduced-risk insecticide based integrated pest management (IPM program in low-income family apartments with young children. In laboratory evaluations, direct spray and 5 min exposure to dry Alpine aerosol residue caused 100.0 ± 0.0 and 91.7 ± 8.3% mortality to bed bug nymphs, respectively. Direct Alpine aerosol spray killed 91.3 ± 4.3% of the eggs. The IPM program included education, steam, bagging infested linens, placing intercepting devices under furniture legs and corners of rooms, applying Alpine aerosol and Alpine dust (0.25% dinotefuran, 95% diatomaceous earth dust, and regularly scheduled monitoring and re-treatment. Nine apartments ranging from 1–1,428 (median: 29 bed bugs based on visual inspection and Climbup interceptor counts were included. Over a 6-month period, an average 172 g insecticide (Alpine aerosol + Alpine dust was used in each apartment, a 96% reduction in pesticide usage compared to chemical only treatment reported in a similar environment. The IPM program resulted in an average of 96.8 ± 2.2% reduction in the number of bed bugs. However, elimination of bed bugs was only achieved in three lightly infested apartments (<30 bed bugs at the beginning. Elimination success was closely correlated with the level of bed bug populations.

The Impact of Public Housing Policy on Family Social Work Theory and Practice

Science.gov (United States)

McCarty, Dawn

2008-01-01

Social workers are the professionals most engaged with families living in low-income and subsidized housing and most familiar with the problems associated with inadequate housing. Yet the discussion of public housing policy has been left largely to economists and housing activists and the clear implications for family social work practice have not…

Rethinking Affordable Housing Delivery: An Analytical Insight

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Olanrewaju Abdullateef

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Malaysia currently has a housing shortage of 12 million units. Towards the year 2020, this would require an annual supply of a minimum of 2 million homes. With the current production rate, the deficits will remain over the next 100 years. The crisis will lead to poor standards of living, un-affordable rental price, high mortgage payment, abandonment, and dilapidation of the existing housing stock. Lack of affordable housing is already a source of concern among many Malaysians. The middle and lower income earners spend more than 30% of their income on rent or for mortgage payment. Housing rent or mortgage is a basic need like foods, education, clothing and health. The government has introduced various measures to address the housing deficit. Despite these measures, the housing supply and distribution gaps continue to grow. To better understand the issues, there is a need to examine how the procurement planning in the affordable housing delivery supply chain and market is formulated, explore how cost of affordable housing would be reduced, identify the user value systems in affordable housing, and identify the criteria in the current regulatory framework? For these purposes, this paper reviews the relevant literature to reach preliminary findings on the stated issues. Among the factors found accounting for housing shortages, the overwhelming factors were that of poor policies, strategies, practice, management, and finance. The findings are meaningful in framing an affordable housing delivery model. It could also be useful to stakeholders involved in affordable housing delivery in Malaysia and elsewhere.

Siblings, Language, and False Belief in Low-Income Children

Science.gov (United States)

Tompkins, Virginia; Farrar, M. Jeffrey; Guo, Ying

2013-01-01

The authors examined the relationship between number of siblings and false belief understanding (FBU) in 94 low-income 4-5-year-olds. Previous research with middle-income children has shown a positive association between number of siblings and FBU. However, it is unclear whether having multiple siblings in low-income families is related to better…

Low energy housing in Ticino - The 'Vitali-Velti' house

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pahud, D.; Generelli, M. [SUPSI-DCT/LEEE-UREC, Trevano-Canobbio (Switzerland); Velti, A; Vitali, B. [architetto, Monte Carasso (Switzerland)

2003-02-15

This final report for the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) takes a look at work done concerning low energy consumption housing in southern Switzerland. Thanks to large windows in the south-east facade and a well insulated building envelope, the passive solar gains are quoted as providing significant contributions to heating. The remaining heating requirements are covered by a closed fireplace and an electric radiator. Heat is distributed by free convection inside the house, A double-flux ventilation system with heat recovery ensures air renewal (3 volumes per day). Each house has a solar hot water system with electric auxiliary energy supply. Space heating requirements are discussed and compared with the standard values as defined in Swiss energy standards and the conventional auxiliary space heating energy required for the houses is noted.

Field Test Evaluation of Conservation Retrofits of Low-Income Single Family Buildings in Wisconsin: Summary Report; TOPICAL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ternes, M.P.

2001-01-01

During the winter of 1985-86, a retrofit field test was performed in 66 occupied, low-income, single-family homes in Madison, Wisconsin. The primary objectives of the field test were to (1) determine the measured energy savings and the relative benefits of a combination of envelope and mechanical equipment retrofits that were selected following a new audit-directed retrofit procedure, (2) determine the energy savings and benefits due to performing infiltration reduction work following a recently developed infiltration reduction procedure, and (3) study general occupant behavior and house thermal characteristics and their possible change following retrofit installation. This report provides an overview of the project and summarizes the findings which will be presented in detail in separate reports. Major findings from the field test include: (1) The audit-directed retrofit procedure produced an average savings of 207 therms/year/house. The procedure also more than doubled the overall cost-effectiveness of the low-income weatherization assistance program as compared with the priority system formerly used in Wisconsin. Wall insulation and condensing furnaces were the major retrofits (predicted annual energy savings greater than 100 therms/year) most often selected under the procedure. The respective average energy savings of the houses receiving wall insulation and condensing furnace. s was 14.6 and 14.3 therms/year for each$100 spent on them under the program. (2) The blower-door-guided infiltration reduction procedure reduced expenditures for infiltration reduction to about one-fourth of previous program costs (from$570/house to$106/house). The procedure also reduced the average air leakage rate in the treated houses by 16%, whereas, in a previous study, no significant reduction was found following the installation of typical infiltration reduction measures. (3) Twenty to 60% of the deviation between predicted and measured savings can be attributed to incorrect

Replacing critical radiators to increase the potential to use low-temperature district heating – A case study of 4 Danish single-family houses from the 1930s

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Østergaard, Dorte Skaarup; Svendsen, Svend

2016-01-01

Low-temperature district heating is a promising technology for providing homes with energy-efficient heating in the future. However, it is of great importance to maintain thermal comfort in existing buildings when district heating temperatures are lowered. This case study evaluated the actual radiator sizes and heating demands in 4 existing Danish single-family houses from the 1930s. A year-long dynamic simulation was performed for each of the houses to evaluate the potential to lower the heating system temperatures. The results indicate that there is a large potential to use low-temperature district heating in existing single-family houses. In order to obtain the full potential of low-temperature district heating, critical radiators must be replaced. Based on a novel method, a total of nine radiators were identified to be critical to ensure thermal comfort and low return temperatures in two of the case-houses. If these radiators were replaced it would be possible to lower the average heating system temperatures to 50 °C/27 °C in all four houses. - Highlights: • Comparison of dynamically calculated heat demands and radiator sizes. • Method for identification and evaluation of critical radiators was tested. • Existing houses can be heated with low-temperature heating for most of the year. • Replacing critical radiators helps ensure comfort and low return temperatures.

7 CFR 1944.670 - Project income.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 13 2010-01-01 2009-01-01 true Project income. 1944.670 Section 1944.670 Agriculture... REGULATIONS (CONTINUED) HOUSING Housing Preservation Grants § 1944.670 Project income. (a) Project income... governed by 7 CFR parts 3015 and 3016. All income during the grant period, including amounts recovered by...

Energy-microfinance intervention for low income households in India

Science.gov (United States)

Rao, P. Sharath Chandra

In India, limited energy access and energy inequity hamper the lives of low income households. Traditional fuels such as firewood and dung cake account for 84 percent and 32 percent of the rural and urban household cooking energy (NSSO, 2007). With 412 million people without access to electricity in 2005, India hosts the world's largest such population (IEA, 2007). But, low income households still spend 9 - 11.7 percent1 of their incomes on inefficient forms of energy while wealthy households spend less than 5 percent on better energy products (Saghir, 2005). Renewable energy technologies coupled with innovative financial products can address the energy access problem facing the low income households in India (MacLean & Siegel, 2007; REEEP, 2009). Nevertheless, the low income households continue to face low access to mainstream finance for purchasing renewable energy technology at terms that meet their monthly energy related expenditure (ESMAP, 2004a; SEEP, 2008a) and low or no access to energy services (Ailawadi & Bhattacharyya, 2006; Modi et. al., 2006). The lack of energy-finance options has left the marginalized population with little means to break the dependence on traditional fuels. This dissertation proposes an energy microfinance intervention to address the present situation. It designed a loan product dedicated to the purchase of renewable energy technologies while taking into account the low and irregular cash flows of the low income households. The arguments presented in this dissertation are based on a six-month pilot project using this product designed and developed by the author in conjunction with a microfinance institution and its low income clients and Energy Service Companies in the state of Karnataka. Finding the right stakeholders and establishing a joint agreement, obtaining grant money for conducting the technology dissemination workshops and forming a clear procedure for commissioning the project, are the key lessons learnt from this study

Mentoring for junior medical faculty: Existing models and suggestions for low-resource settings.

Science.gov (United States)

Menon, Vikas; Muraleedharan, Aparna; Bhat, Ballambhattu Vishnu

2016-02-01

Globally, there is increasing recognition about the positive benefits and impact of mentoring on faculty retention rates, career satisfaction and scholarly output. However, emphasis on research and practice of mentoring is comparatively meagre in low and middle income countries. In this commentary, we critically examine two existing models of mentorship for medical faculty and offer few suggestions for an integrated hybrid model that can be adapted for use in low resource settings. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Concept of innovation in low-income market

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vitor Koki da Costa Nogami

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Purpose – Investigate the concept and the adoption of innovation in the low-income market. Design/methodology/approach – Four different studies were conducted. First, a Delphi study with 126 Marketing and Innovation professors from graduate programs. Second, interviews with 13 professionals, technical assistance professionals and retail managers. Third, two focus groups with low-income consumers. Fourth, survey with 390 respondents. Findings – The results indicate that innovations in the low-income markets are mainly characterized by adaptations and adjustments in products, with emphasis on incremental innovations, not radical. In addition, the adoption of innovation in this context is characterized as late, not initial. Originality/value – In terms of theoretical contributions, the present study reveals how the concept of innovation is built in the low-income market. From a perspective collectively constructed with information from different market agents (industry, retail and consumers, research findings become robust to understanding a phenomenon. Moreover, in addition to different market agents, different methods of data collection and analysis were also used, further enriching the results. This collective contribution, based theoretically on a literature of social construction, interviewing different market agents and using different methodological approaches, synergistically potentiated the development of this paper

Approaches to Electric Utility Energy Efficiency for Low Income Customers in a Changing Regulatory Environment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brockway, N.

2001-05-21

As the electric industry goes through a transformation to a more market-driven model, traditional grounds for utility energy efficiency have come under fire, undermining the existing mechanisms to fund and deliver such services. The challenge, then, is to understand why the electric industry should sustain investments in helping low-income Americans use electricity efficiently, how such investments should be made, and how these policies can become part of the new electric industry structure. This report analyzes the opportunities and barriers to leveraging electric utility energy efficiency assistance to low-income customers during the transition of the electric industry to greater competition.

Pesticide Poisonings in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørs, Erik; Neupane, Dinesh; London, Leslie

2018-01-01

Aims and scope This editorial is an introduction to the papers making up the special issue on 'pesticide poisonings in low- and middle income countries'.......Aims and scope This editorial is an introduction to the papers making up the special issue on 'pesticide poisonings in low- and middle income countries'....

75 FR 66977 - Housing Trust Fund

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-29

...., administrative requirements; monitoring, site and neighborhood standards; and affirmative marketing). This... affordable multifamily rental housing. Income Targeting Based on tabulations of American Housing Survey data... housing for ELI households. The Secretary shall publish subsequent income targeting requirements when HUD...

Evaluation of criteria of environmental fitness for popular houses of the low income sector to arid regions in Mexicali, Baja California; Evaluacion de criterios de adecuacion ambiental para la vivienda popular de sectores de bajos ingresos al clima calido extremo de Mexicali, B.C.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Corral Martinez, Maria [Universidad Autonoma de Baja California, Mexicali, Baja California (Mexico)

2000-07-01

The main purpose of this work is to present the impact on minimizing thermal loads, the traditional bioclimatic criteria commonly utilized on low income housing types in Mexicali, B.C., Mexico by showing the results of dynamic thermal evaluation based in the DOE 2.1e software as well as its technical description, with the purpose of providing recommendations for low income popular houses on arid regions, due to the high reduction percentages that can be obtained during summertime. Therefore, having the data obtained from the field as a starting point, the thermal problematic in popular housing is detected. A properties is chosen from a representative range of government supported housing types named progressive housing which are offered an financially available to the large low income popular sector in order to determine the thermal environmental function using the DOE 2.1e software and a gnomon analysis. To conclude evaluations showed that by integrating and applying traditional thermal and environmental strategies that are commonly used in this region, it is possible to reduce as much 50% of the annual cooling internal load, enhancing thermal comfort conditions in natural bioclimatic way. [Spanish] El objetivo de este trabajo es mostrar el impacto en la reduccion de la carga interna de enfriamiento, de los criterios de adecuacion ambiental que tradicionalmente se aplican en la vivienda de Mexicali, B.C., Mexico presentando los resultados de una evaluacion termica en estado dinamico con el programa DOE 2.1e y la descripcion tecnica de las mismas, con el proposito de hacer recomendaciones para la vivienda popular de bajos ingresos en zonas aridas. Para ello a partir de informacion de campo se detecta la existencia de problema termico en la vivienda popular. Se revisa un prototipo representativo de los programas oficiales de vivienda ofrecido a los sectores populares denominado vivienda progresiva, a fin de establecer el grado de adecuacion termico ambiental con el

12 CFR 1282.17 - Affordability-Income level definitions-family size and income known (owner-occupied units, actual...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... GOALS AND MISSION Housing Goals § 1282.17 Affordability—Income level definitions—family size and income..., for rental housing, family size and income information for the dwelling unit is known to the... sizes: Number of persons in family Percentageof area median income 1 70 2 80 3 90 4 100 5 or more...

DETERMINANTS OF HOUSING INSECURITY IN A LOW INCOMESOUTH AFRICAN TOWNSHIP

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N.P Mncayi

2017-07-01

Full Text Available The campaign to end povertyby 2030,as advocated by the World Bank,has multifacetedcomponents. Food security and abject poverty have received more attention;however,little attention has been focused on housing insecurity. This is important,especially giventhe fact that it iswidely acknowledged that housing satiates an essential human need forphysical security, dignity and prosperity,among other things. Housing, for some time,has been observed as crucial to individual and family functioning. As indicated byorganisations such as the United Nations Habitat, the importance of appropriate housingis explained by the fact that safe housing is seen as a basic need among other needs suchas food, all of which are regarded as central components of the security of ordinaryhouseholds, particularly in developing countries. In 2015, more than 1.5 billionpeopleinthe world were living in housing that was unsafe and inadequate, while in the meantime,millions experienced eviction from their homes every year, with at least 100 millionpeople becoming homeless on any given day.Therefore, it ispertinent to understand whatdetermines housing insecurity. The studyaims toinvestigatefactors thatdetermineshousing insecurity. Using data collected from Sharpeville and Bophelong, two lowincome townships in South Africa that are particularlyvulnerable to housing insecurity,the study employs amultinomiallogisticregression to investigate the effects of head ofhousehold and the general household characteristics on housing insecurity. Theresults ofthe regression analysis show that income, gender, number of people in the household andthe amount paid to bond or rent are significant predictors of housing insecurity.Contentious issues like access to land and job opportunities are areas of further study inunderstanding the multifaceted phenomenon of housing insecurity.

The demise of compound houses

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andreasen, Jørgen; Eskemose Andersen, Jørgen

2006-01-01

of compound housing and analyses the advantages and disadvantages of life within such housing in Kumasi. Issues of privacy, image and communal life are usually cited by occupants dissatiesfied with life in compound houses, and the difficulty of extending them without spoiling the open spaces...... perceptions of what is acceptable urban life to the growing cohort of young African households. In addition, there is a need to explore innovative forms of tenure in order to secure the majority of Kumasi's population access to land for housing.......The compound house has long provided the accomodation required by low income households in West African cities. In Kumasi, Ghana, evidence suggests that no new compounds are being built. Instead, the city is being ringed by relatively affluent villa-style development while neighbourhoods dominated...

Examining neighborhood and interpersonal norms and social support on fruit and vegetable intake in low-income communities.

Science.gov (United States)

Dulin, Akilah; Risica, Patricia M; Mello, Jennifer; Ahmed, Rashid; Carey, Kate B; Cardel, Michelle; Howe, Chanelle J; Nadimpalli, Sarah; Gans, Kim M

2018-04-05

We examined whether neighborhood-, friend-, and family- norms and social support for consumption and purchase of fruits and vegetables (F&V) were associated with F&V intake among low-income residents in subsidized housing communities. We examined baseline data from a study ancillary to the Live Well/Viva Bien intervention. Participants included 290 residents in four low-income subsidized housing sites who were ≥ 18 years of age, English and/or Spanish speaking, and without medical conditions that prevented consumption of F&V. Linear regression models examined associations of norms and social support with F&V intake after adjustments for sociodemographic characteristics. In the analysis, neighborhood social support for F&V was associated with a 0.31 cup increase in F&V intake (95% CI = 0.05, 0.57). The family norm for eating F&V and family social support for eating F&V were associated with a 0.32 cup (95% CI = 0.13, 0.52) and 0.42 cup (95% CI = 0.19, 0.64) increase in F&V intake, respectively. To our knowledge, no other studies have examined neighborhood, family, and peer norms and social support simultaneously and in relation to F&V intake. These findings may inform neighborhood interventions and community-level policies to reduce neighborhood disparities in F&V consumption.

Collaborating with a social housing provider supports a large cohort study of the health effects of housing conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Baker, Michael G; Zhang, Jane; Blakely, Tony; Crane, Julian; Saville-Smith, Kay; Howden-Chapman, Philippa

2016-02-16

Despite the importance of adequate, un-crowded housing as a prerequisite for good health, few large cohort studies have explored the health effects of housing conditions. The Social Housing Outcomes Worth (SHOW) Study was established to assess the relationship between housing conditions and health, particularly between household crowding and infectious diseases. This paper reports on the methods and feasibility of using a large administrative housing database for epidemiological research and the characteristics of the social housing population. This prospective open cohort study was established in 2003 in collaboration with Housing New Zealand Corporation which provides housing for approximately 5% of the population. The Study measures health outcomes using linked anonymised hospitalisation and mortality records provided by the New Zealand Ministry of Health. It was possible to match the majority (96%) of applicant and tenant household members with their National Health Index (NHI) number allowing linkage to anonymised coded data on their hospitalisations and mortality. By December 2011, the study population consisted of 11,196 applicants and 196,612 tenants. Half were less than 21 years of age. About two-thirds identified as Māori or Pacific ethnicity. Household incomes were low. Of tenant households, 44% containing one or more smokers compared with 33% for New Zealand as a whole. Exposure to household crowding, as measured by a deficit of one or more bedrooms, was common for applicants (52%) and tenants (38%) compared with New Zealanders as whole (10%). This project has shown that an administrative housing database can be used to form a large cohort population and successfully link cohort members to their health records in a way that meets confidentiality and ethical requirements. This study also confirms that social housing tenants are a highly deprived population with relatively low incomes and high levels of exposure to household crowding and environmental

Fiscally Unsustainable Social Welfare, Untenable Housing Solutions and the Mortgage Default Ratio in South Africa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vuyisani Vuyisani Moss

2013-10-01

Full Text Available This article reflects on social welfare system and governance of housingmarkets from an end-user perspective. The article critically analyses the wayin which social welfare has correlated to unsustainable development and createdself entitlement behaviours and attitudes in the South African low incomehousing market.  The phenomenon wasdemonstrable by empirical research whose findings confirmed an existence of anassociation between a fully subsidized social housing model (as underpinned bySouth Africa’s social welfare and propensity to default on mortgages.  The study found that the risk of default byhomeowners in the low income housing market in South Africa is influenced bygovernment’s housing grant model. In other words, the research established thatthe principle of servicing a mortgaged starter property (that is almost similarto a government free house by both structure and design is not universallyaccepted by homeowners of these mortgaged houses.  The unintended consequences are that thesystem has created indefinite expectations that potentially could; (i erodethe country’s balance sheet; (ii add to non-payment behaviour; (iii pressurizethe economic and credit systems; (iv propagate entitlement attitudes andmindsets; (v create social instability and (v widened the country’s balanceof payment deficits.

Out-of-pocket financial burden for low-income families with children: socioeconomic disparities and effects of insurance.

Science.gov (United States)

Galbraith, Alison A; Wong, Sabrina T; Kim, Sue E; Newacheck, Paul W

2005-12-01

To determine whether socioeconomic disparities exist in the financial burden of out-of-pocket (OOP) health care expenditures for families with children, and whether health insurance coverage decreases financial burden for low-income families. The Household Component of the 2001 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey. Cross-sectional family-level analysis. We used bivariate statistics to examine whether financial burden varied by poverty level. Multivariate regression models were used to assess whether family insurance coverage was associated with level of financial burden for low-income families. The main outcome was financial burden, defined as the proportion of family income spent on OOP health care expenditures, including premiums, for all family members. We aggregated annual OOP expenditures for all members of 4,531 families with a child members publicly insured all year, (2) all members privately insured all year, (3) all members uninsured all year, (4) partial coverage, or (5) mix of public and private with no uninsured periods. A regressive gradient was noted for financial burden across income groups, with families with incomes Poverty Level (FPL) spending a mean of 119.66 US dollars OOP per 1,000 US dollars of family income and families with incomes 100-199 percent FPL spending 66.30 US dollars OOP per 1,000 US dollars, compared with 37.75 US dollars for families with incomes >400 percent FPL. For low-income families (families with children. For low-income families, full-year public coverage provides significantly greater protection from financial burden than full-year private coverage.

Indoor Temperatures in Low Cost Housing in Johannesburg, South Africa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nisha Naicker

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Ambient and indoor temperature affects thermal comfort and human health. In a changing climate with a predicted change in temperature extremes, understanding indoor temperatures, both hot and cold, of different housing types is important. This study aimed to assess the hourly, daily and monthly variation in indoor temperatures in different housing types, namely formal houses, informal houses, flats, government-built low-cost houses and old, apartheid era low-cost housing, in five impoverished urban communities in Johannesburg, South Africa. During the cross-sectional survey of the Health, Environment and Development study data loggers were installed in 100 homes (20 per suburb from February to May 2014. Indoor temperature and relative humidity were recorded on an hourly basis. Ambient outdoor temperatures were obtained from the nearest weather station. Indoor and outdoor temperature and relative humidity levels were compared; and an inter-comparison between the different housing types were also made. Apparent temperature was calculated to assess indoor thermal comfort. Data from 59 retrieved loggers showed a significant difference in monthly mean indoor temperature between the five different housing types (p < 0.0001. Low cost government-built houses and informal settlement houses had the greatest variation in temperature and experienced temperatures between 4 and 5 °C warmer than outdoor temperatures. Housing types occupied by poor communities experienced indoor temperature fluctuations often greater than that observed for ambient temperatures. Families living in government-built low-cost and informally-constructed homes are the most at risk for indoor temperature extremes. These types of housing should be prioritised for interventions aimed at assisting families to cope with extreme temperatures, gaining optimal thermal comfort and preventing temperature-related health effects.

Efficiency and cost effectiveness of retrofitting ventilation in low-rise housing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bowser, D.; Fugler, D.

2000-01-01

Effective and inexpensive ventilation systems that can be retrofitted to existing low-rise housing to improve indoor air quality in existing housing stock is discussed. In a project by CMHC ten retrofit ventilation systems in single family residential buildings were tested in an effort to identify homes with specific indoor air quality concerns and to evaluate the performance of these retrofit systems by monitoring air quality before and after installation. Measurements were taken over a two-to-three day period with normal occupancy. In one case radon contamination was also measured directly before and after the retrofit. Cost estimates were based on capital, operating and maintenance expenses. This paper describes the results of three sample case studies. One of these involved a home with high concentration of radon gas. The recommended solution was fan-assisted removal of soil gases as the only way to ensure substantial reductions in concentration. Cost of the system was $2,450, plus $79 annual operating expenses. The second case involved a basement apartment with odour and moisture build-up. To solve the problem, an exhaust-only ventilation system with multiple pick-up points was installed at a cost of $750. Annual operating costs are estimated at $171. The third case study described a dwelling with windows and exhaust ducts showing condensation and mold on the bathroom ceiling. Balanced mechanical ventilation via an HRV was installed to exhaust the moist air from the house and to supply fresh dry air. In this case cost of the system was $1,345 installed, plus annual operating costs of $117. It was stressed that different houses have different requirements. Therefore it is important to be fully aware of the amount of natural ventilation a house has, prior to determining whether the solution demands additional ventilation requirements or simply redistribution. 1 ref., 3 figs

A Multidimensional Model for Child Maltreatment Prevention Readiness in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

Science.gov (United States)

Mikton, Christopher; Mehra, Radhika; Butchart, Alexander; Addiss, David; Almuneef, Maha; Cardia, Nancy; Cheah, Irene; Chen, JingQi; Makoae, Mokhantso; Raleva, Marija

2011-01-01

The study's aim was to develop a multidimensional model for the assessment of child maltreatment prevention readiness in low- and middle-income countries. The model was developed based on a conceptual review of relevant existing models and approaches, an international expert consultation, and focus groups in six countries. The final model…

Tackling cold housing and fuel poverty in New Zealand: A review of policies, research, and health impacts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Howden-Chapman, Philippa; Viggers, Helen; Chapman, Ralph; O’Sullivan, Kimberley; Telfar Barnard, Lucy; Lloyd, Bob

2012-01-01

About a quarter of New Zealand households are estimated to be in fuel poverty. NZ has a poor history of housing regulation, so existing houses are often poorly insulated and rental properties are not required to have insulation or heating. Average indoor temperatures are cold by international standards and occupants regularly report they are cold, because they cannot afford to heat their houses. Fuel poverty is thought to be a factor in NZ's high rate of excess winter mortality (16%, about 1600 deaths a year) and excess winter hospitalisations (8%). We examined the link between indoor cold and health in two community trials, the Housing, Insulation, and Health Study and the Housing, Heating, and Health Study and both interventions demonstrated encouraging benefit/cost ratios. NZ governments have translated this and other research into major policy programmes designed to retrofit insulation and efficient heating into existing houses. However, houses are predominantly electrical resistance heated and a largely unregulated electricity market has seen rapidly rising residential electricity prices. These rising energy prices, combined with low rates of economic growth, rising unemployment and generally rising income inequality, are likely to further increase levels of fuel poverty in NZ, unless broader policy action is taken. - Highlights: ► Fuel poverty of New Zealand households is rising with electricity prices. ► Average indoor housing temperatures are low by international standards. ► Excess winter mortality and hospitalisation remain relatively high. ► Trials of retrofitted insulating and heating have influenced policy programmes. ► Fuel poverty benefits of programmes could be overshadowed by rising energy prices.

Colorectal cancer screening, perceived discrimination, and low-income and trust in doctors: a survey of minority patients

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bhattacharya Shelley B

2009-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Completion of colorectal cancer (CRC screening testing is lower among low-income and minority groups than the population as a whole. Given the multiple cancer screening health disparities known to exist within the U.S., this study investigated the relationship between perceived discrimination, trust in most doctors, and completion of Fecal Occult Blood Testing (FOBT among a low-income, minority primary care population in an urban setting. Methods We recruited a convenience sample of adults over age 40 (n = 282 from a federally qualified community health center (70% African American. Participants completed a survey which included measures of trust in most doctors, perceived discrimination, demographics and report of cancer screening. Results Participants reported high levels of trust in most doctors, regardless of sex, race, education or income. High trust was associated with low perceived discrimination (p Conclusion Perceived discrimination was related to income, but not race, suggesting that discrimination is not unique to minorities, but common to those in poverty. Since trust in most doctors trended toward being related to age, FOBT screening could be negatively influenced by low trust and perceived discrimination in health care settings. A failure to address these issues in middle-aged, low income individuals could exacerbate future disparities in CRC screening.

Income Inequality and Income Taxation in Canada: Trends in the Census 1980-2005

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kevin Milligan

2013-08-01

Full Text Available Faced with rising fiscal pressures and discontent over income inequality, many countries, Canada among them, are searching for remedies. Income tax systems offer an effective way of changing economic destinies, so it’s only natural for governments to regard tax policy as a panacea. The first step to a solution is to understand how income tax influences existing inequality. This paper provides an overview of trends in pre- and post-tax income distribution in Canada from 1980-2005, by drawing on a more comprehensive data source than those found in many existing studies — Canadian census data. The results are in broad agreement: money has been steadily accumulating in the top half of the income distribution since 1980, with the trend quickening after 1995. This is just as true for family after-tax incomes as it is for individual market incomes even after the impact of the income tax system is taken into account. Over the 25-year period studied, the Gini coefficient rose from 0.352 to 0.404 for pre-tax income, and from 0.312 to 0.349 for after-tax income, while the proportion of the increase undone by taxation fell to a low of 2 per cent after 1995, as the Canadian tax system became less redistributive. However, some progressive aspects remain. Improvements to refundable tax credits in the late 1990s led to a 20 per cent decline in the number of families falling under the Low-Income Cut-Off. Canada’s income tax system hasn’t kept pace with climbing pre-tax inequality, but it continues to be a useful aftertax equalizer for low-income families.

Satellite-aided survey sampling and implementation in low- and middle-income contexts: a low-cost/low-tech alternative.

Science.gov (United States)

Haenssgen, Marco J

2015-01-01

The increasing availability of online maps, satellite imagery, and digital technology can ease common constraints of survey sampling in low- and middle-income countries. However, existing approaches require specialised software and user skills, professional GPS equipment, and/or commercial data sources; they tend to neglect spatial sampling considerations when using satellite maps; and they continue to face implementation challenges analogous to conventional survey implementation methods. This paper presents an alternative way of utilising satellite maps and digital aides that aims to address these challenges. The case studies of two rural household surveys in Rajasthan (India) and Gansu (China) compare conventional survey sampling and implementation techniques with the use of online map services such as Google, Bing, and HERE maps. Modern yet basic digital technology can be integrated into the processes of preparing, implementing, and monitoring a rural household survey. Satellite-aided systematic random sampling enhanced the spatial representativeness of the village samples and entailed savings of approximately £4000 compared to conventional household listing, while reducing the duration of the main survey by at least 25 %. This low-cost/low-tech satellite-aided survey sampling approach can be useful for student researchers and resource-constrained research projects operating in low- and middle-income contexts with high survey implementation costs. While achieving transparent and efficient survey implementation at low costs, researchers aiming to adopt a similar process should be aware of the locational, technical, and logistical requirements as well as the methodological challenges of this strategy.

The Opportunity Illusion: Subsidized Housing and Failing Schools in California

Science.gov (United States)

Pfeiffer, Deirdre

2009-01-01

Since the late 1980s, the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program has funded the bulk of subsidized development nationwide, enabling the construction of over 100,000 units targeted to lower income households in California alone (California Tax Credit Allocation Committee 2009c). Yet, by not encouraging the siting of projects in racially…

Sustainable and informal: A case study in the shadows of housing ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The potential of the project to speak of 'sustainable' solutions in housing may have been undermined in its goal to showcase an alternative in low-income housing because it pushed the envelope by building beyond building codes. By tracing the building process and the ethnographic fieldwork of the author, building ...

42 CFR 436.229 - Optional targeted low-income children.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Optional targeted low-income children. 436.229... Options for Coverage as Categorically Needy Options for Coverage of Families and Children and Aged, Blind, and Disabled Individuals, Including Pregnant Women § 436.229 Optional targeted low-income children...

Improving Strategies for Low-Income Family Children's Information Literacy

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Haiyan; Washington, Rodney; Yin, Jianjun

2014-01-01

This article discussed the significance of improving low-income family children's information literacy, which could improve educational quality, enhance children's self-esteem, adapt children to the future competitive world market, as well as the problems in improving low-income family children's information literacy, such as no home computer and…

Does stimulant use impair housing outcomes in low-demand supportive housing for chronically homeless adults?

Science.gov (United States)

Edens, Ellen L; Tsai, Jack; Rosenheck, Robert A

2014-01-01

Recent research suggests low-demand housing (i.e., not contingent upon abstinence) is effective in helping people exit homelessness, even among recent active substance users. Whether active users of illicit drugs and stimulants have worse housing outcomes than primary alcohol users, however, is unknown. A total of 149 participants in a multisite supportive housing program who reported high levels of active substance use at program entry were classified as either (1) predominantly "Alcohol Use" (>10 of 30 days alcohol, but not >10 days of drug use) or (2) "Illicit Drug Use" (>10 of 30 days any single illicit drug use with or without alcohol use). Sub-analysis of the "Illicit Drug Use" group compared participants reporting high levels of "Stimulant Use" (>10 days cocaine, crack, or methamphetamine use) to those with high levels of "Non-stimulant Use" (>10 days marijuana or other non-stimulant drug use). Group differences in housing outcomes were examined with mixed model multivariate regression. During 24-month follow-up, days housed increased dramatically for both the "Alcohol Use" and the "Illicit Drug Use" groups without significant differences. Sub-analysis of illicit drug users showed stimulant use was associated with fewer days housed (p = .01) and more days homeless (p = .02) over time. Among illicit drug users, stimulant users have somewhat less successful housing outcomes than other active drug and alcohol users, though both groups maintained substantial housing improvements in low-demand housing. © American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry.

Replacing critical radiators to increase the potential to use low-temperature district heating – A case study of 4 Danish single-family houses from the 1930s

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Østergaard, Dorte Skaarup; Svendsen, Svend

2016-01-01

radiator sizes and heating demands in 4 existing Danish single-family houses from the 1930s. A year-long dynamic simulation was performed for each of the houses to evaluate the potential to lower the heating system temperatures. The results indicate that there is a large potential to use low......-temperature district heating in existing single-family houses. In order to obtain the full potential of low-temperature district heating, critical radiators must be replaced. Based on a novel method, a total of nine radiators were identified to be critical to ensure thermal comfort and low return temperatures in two...

Backyard housing in Gauteng: An analysis of spatial dynamics

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Backyard housing in Gauteng: An analysis of spatial dynamics. Yasmin Shapurjee ... Drawing on quantitative geo-demographic data from GeoTerraImage (GTI). (2010), Knowledge .... a fundamental role in absorbing demand for low-income ...

Windows in Low Energy Houses. Size Matters

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Persson, Mari-Louise

2004-06-01

A generally accepted way of building passive houses has been to have small windows facing north and a large glass facade to the south. This is to minimize losses on the north side while gaining as much solar heat as possible on the south. In spring 2001, twenty terraced houses were built outside Goeteborg partly in this way. The indoor temperature is kept at a comfortable level by passive methods, using solar gains and internal gains from household appliances and occupants. Heat losses are very low, since the building envelope is well insulated and since modern coated triple-glazed windows have been installed. The purpose of this work is to investigate how decreasing the window size facing south and increasing the window size facing north in low energy houses will influence the energy consumption and maximum power needed to keep the indoor temperature between 23 and 26 deg C. Different climates and orientations have been investigated and so have the influence of occupancy and window type. A dynamic building simulation tool, DEROB, has been used and the simulations indicate an extremely low energy demand for the houses. The results show that the size of the energy efficient windows does not have a major influence on the heating demand in winter, but is of relevant signification looking at the cooling need in summer. This indicates that instead of the traditional technique of building passive houses it is possible to enlarge the window area facing north and get better lighting conditions. To decrease the energy need for cooling, there is an optimal window size facing south that is smaller than the original size of the investigated buildings.

National income inequality and ineffective health insurance in 35 low- and middle-income countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Alvarez, Francisco N; El-Sayed, Abdulrahman M

2017-05-01

Global health policy efforts to improve health and reduce financial burden of disease in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) has fuelled interest in expanding access to health insurance coverage to all, a movement known as Universal Health Coverage (UHC). Ineffective insurance is a measure of failure to achieve the intended outcomes of health insurance among those who nominally have insurance. This study aimed to evaluate the relation between national-level income inequality and the prevalence of ineffective insurance. We used Standardized World Income Inequality Database (SWIID) Gini coefficients for 35 LMICs and World Health Survey (WHS) data about insurance from 2002 to 2004 to fit multivariable regression models of the prevalence of ineffective insurance on national Gini coefficients, adjusting for GDP per capita. Greater inequality predicted higher prevalence of ineffective insurance. When stratifying by individual-level covariates, higher inequality was associated with greater ineffective insurance among sub-groups traditionally considered more privileged: youth, men, higher education, urban residence and the wealthiest quintile. Stratifying by World Bank country income classification, higher inequality was associated with ineffective insurance among upper-middle income countries but not low- or lower-middle income countries. We hypothesize that these associations may be due to the imprint of underlying social inequalities as countries approach decreasing marginal returns on improved health insurance by income. Our findings suggest that beyond national income, income inequality may predict differences in the quality of insurance, with implications for efforts to achieve UHC. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press in association with The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Indoor air quality in green-renovated vs. non-green low-income homes of children living in a temperate region of US (Ohio)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Coombs, Kanistha C. [University of Cincinnati, Department of Environmental Health, P.O. Box 670056, Cincinnati, OH (United States); Chew, Ginger L. [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Center for Environmental Health, Air Pollution and Respiratory Health Branch, 4770 Buford Hwy., N.E., MS-F60, Atlanta, GA (United States); Schaffer, Christopher [University of Cincinnati, Department of Environmental Health, P.O. Box 670056, Cincinnati, OH (United States); Ryan, Patrick H. [University of Cincinnati, Department of Environmental Health, P.O. Box 670056, Cincinnati, OH (United States); Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children' s Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Ave, Cincinnati, OH (United States); Brokamp, Cole; Grinshpun, Sergey A. [University of Cincinnati, Department of Environmental Health, P.O. Box 670056, Cincinnati, OH (United States); Adamkiewicz, Gary [Harvard University, T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Department of Environmental Health, 401 Park Drive, Boston, MA (United States); Chillrud, Steve [Columbia University, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Geochemistry Division, P.O. Box 8000, Palisades, New York (United States); Hedman, Curtis [University of Wisconsin-Madison, Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene, 465 Henry Mall, Madison, WI (United States); Colton, Meryl [Harvard University, T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Department of Environmental Health, 401 Park Drive, Boston, MA (United States); Ross, Jamie [Columbia University, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Geochemistry Division, P.O. Box 8000, Palisades, New York (United States); Reponen, Tiina [University of Cincinnati, Department of Environmental Health, P.O. Box 670056, Cincinnati, OH (United States)

2016-06-01

Green eco-friendly housing includes approaches to reduce indoor air pollutant sources and to increase energy efficiency. Although sealing/tightening buildings can save energy and reduce the penetration of outdoor pollutants, an adverse outcome can be increased buildup of pollutants with indoor sources. The objective of this study was to determine the differences in the indoor air quality (IAQ) between green and non-green homes in low-income housing complexes. In one housing complex, apartments were renovated using green principles (n = 28). Home visits were conducted immediately after the renovation, and subsequently at 6 months and at 12 months following the renovation. Of these homes, eight homes had pre-renovation home visits; this allowed pre- and post-renovation comparisons within the same homes. Parallel visits were conducted in non-green (control) apartments (n = 14) in a nearby low-income housing complex. The IAQ assessments included PM{sub 2.5}, black carbon, ultrafine particles, sulfur, total volatile organic compounds (VOCs), formaldehyde, and air exchange rate. Data were analyzed using linear mixed-effects models. None of the indoor pollutant concentrations were significantly different between green and non-green homes. However, we found differences when comparing the concentrations before and after renovation. Measured immediately after renovation, indoor black carbon concentrations were significantly lower averaging 682 ng/m{sup 3} in post-renovation vs. 2364 ng/m{sup 3} in pre-renovation home visits (p = 0.01). In contrast, formaldehyde concentrations were significantly higher in post-renovated (0.03 ppm) than in pre-renovated homes (0.01 ppm) (p = 0.004). Questionnaire data showed that opening of windows occurred less frequently in homes immediately post-renovation compared to pre-renovation; this factor likely affected the levels of indoor black carbon (from outdoor sources) and formaldehyde (from indoor sources) more than the renovation status

Indoor air quality in green-renovated vs. non-green low-income homes of children living in a temperate region of US (Ohio)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Coombs, Kanistha C.; Chew, Ginger L.; Schaffer, Christopher; Ryan, Patrick H.; Brokamp, Cole; Grinshpun, Sergey A.; Adamkiewicz, Gary; Chillrud, Steve; Hedman, Curtis; Colton, Meryl; Ross, Jamie; Reponen, Tiina

2016-01-01

Green eco-friendly housing includes approaches to reduce indoor air pollutant sources and to increase energy efficiency. Although sealing/tightening buildings can save energy and reduce the penetration of outdoor pollutants, an adverse outcome can be increased buildup of pollutants with indoor sources. The objective of this study was to determine the differences in the indoor air quality (IAQ) between green and non-green homes in low-income housing complexes. In one housing complex, apartments were renovated using green principles (n = 28). Home visits were conducted immediately after the renovation, and subsequently at 6 months and at 12 months following the renovation. Of these homes, eight homes had pre-renovation home visits; this allowed pre- and post-renovation comparisons within the same homes. Parallel visits were conducted in non-green (control) apartments (n = 14) in a nearby low-income housing complex. The IAQ assessments included PM_2_._5, black carbon, ultrafine particles, sulfur, total volatile organic compounds (VOCs), formaldehyde, and air exchange rate. Data were analyzed using linear mixed-effects models. None of the indoor pollutant concentrations were significantly different between green and non-green homes. However, we found differences when comparing the concentrations before and after renovation. Measured immediately after renovation, indoor black carbon concentrations were significantly lower averaging 682 ng/m"3 in post-renovation vs. 2364 ng/m"3 in pre-renovation home visits (p = 0.01). In contrast, formaldehyde concentrations were significantly higher in post-renovated (0.03 ppm) than in pre-renovated homes (0.01 ppm) (p = 0.004). Questionnaire data showed that opening of windows occurred less frequently in homes immediately post-renovation compared to pre-renovation; this factor likely affected the levels of indoor black carbon (from outdoor sources) and formaldehyde (from indoor sources) more than the renovation status itself. To

Women's housing conditions in Bangladesh.

Science.gov (United States)

Shefali, M K

1996-01-01

This news article describes women's housing conditions, housing policy, and pilot programs to house poor women in Bangladesh. Although Bangladesh has a constitution that reinforces the equal status of women, in practice, men dominate and patrilineal customs determine inheritance and property rights. Religious affiliation also determines land tenure and inheritance. Muslim women can inherit 12.5% of their husband's property if there are children. 25% is inherited if wives are without children. Hindu women without sons can inherit their husband's property, but not parental property. Many families refuse to release property to women without a fight. Women, regardless of ownership of land, rarely control or use their land. The custom of requiring men to maintain wives during the marriage, and daughters until marriage, creates obstacles to women's decision making about property. Without collateral and other security women are unable to secure bank loans. Many women are also constrained by the requirement of male consent or guarantees for bank transactions. Banks do not have a gender responsive criteria for selecting loan recipients. The government does not provide sufficient housing to satisfy the growing housing needs due to population growth. Some housing is available from slum landlords. A National Housing Policy was formulated in 1993. Priority would be given to the housing needs of low income women in urban areas and women-headed households with income below the poverty line. The policy does not address the underlying factors that prevent equal access to housing for women. The government prepared a Human Settlement and Urban Development proposal for the Habitat II conference. The plan did not address gender issues. Special efforts are being made by nongovernmental groups to meet the housing needs of professional women and for some disadvantaged women.

Cancer Outcomes in Low-Income Elders

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services — Cancer Outcomes in Low-Income Elders, Is There An Advantage to Being on Medicaid Because of reduced financial barriers, dual Medicare-Medicaid enrollment of...

Space heating with ultra-low-temperature district heating - A case study of four single-family houses from the 1980s

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Østergaard, Dorte Skaarup; Svendsen, Svend

. These benefits can be maximized if district heating temperatures are lowered as much as possible. In this paper we report on a project where 18 Danish single-family houses from the 1980s were supplied by ultra-low-temperature district heating with a supply temperature as low as 45 °C for the main part...... the four houses were modelled in the building simulation tool IDA ICE. The simulation models included the actual radiator sizes and the models were used to simulate the expected thermal comfort in the houses and resulting district heating return temperatures. Secondly measurements of the actual district...... heating return temperatures in the houses were analysed for different times of the year. The study found that existing Danish single-family houses from the 1980s can be heated with supply temperatures as low as 45 °C for the main part of the year. Both simulation models and test measurements showed...

Surviving spinal cord injury in low income countries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tone Øderud

2014-08-01

Objectives: The aims of this study were to explore life expectancy (life expectancy is the average remaining years of life of an individual and the situation of persons living with SCI in low income settings. Method: Literature studies and qualitative methods were used. Qualitative data was collected through semi-structured interviews with 23 informants from four study sites in Zimbabwe representing persons with SCI, their relatives and rehabilitation professionals. Results: There are few publications available about life expectancy and the daily life of persons with SCI in low income countries. Those few publications identified and the study findings confirm that individuals with SCI are experiencing a high occurrence of pressure sores and urinary tract infections leading to unnecessary suffering, often causing premature death. Pain and depression are frequently reported and stigma and negative attitudes are experienced in society. Lack of appropriate wheelchairs and services, limited knowledge about SCI amongst health care staff, limited access to health care and rehabilitation services, loss of employment and lack of financial resources worsen the daily challenges. Conclusion: The study indicates that life expectancy for individuals with SCI in low income settings is shorter than for the average population and also with respect to individuals with SCI in high income countries. Poverty worsened the situation for individuals with SCI, creating barriers that increase the risk of contracting harmful pressure sores and infections leading to premature death. Further explorations on mortality and how individuals with SCI and their families in low income settings are coping in their daily life are required to provide comprehensive evidences.

Influenza vaccines in low and middle income countries

Science.gov (United States)

Ott, Jördis J.; Klein Breteler, Janna; Tam, John S.; Hutubessy, Raymond C.W.; Jit, Mark; de Boer, Michiel R.

2013-01-01

Objectives: Economic evaluations on influenza vaccination from low resource settings are scarce and have not been evaluated using a systematic approach. Our objective was to conduct a systematic review on the value for money of influenza vaccination in low- and middle-income countries. Methods: PubMed and EMBASE were searched for economic evaluations published in any language between 1960 and 2011. Main outcome measures were costs per influenza outcome averted, costs per quality-adjusted life years gained or disability-adjusted life years averted, costs per benefit in monetary units or cost-benefit ratios. Results: Nine economic evaluations on seasonal influenza vaccine met the inclusion criteria. These were model- or randomized-controlled-trial (RCT)-based economic evaluations from middle-income countries. Influenza vaccination provided value for money for elderly, infants, adults and children with high-risk conditions. Vaccination was cost-effective and cost-saving for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients and in elderly above 65 y from model-based evaluations, but conclusions from RCTs on elderly varied. Conclusion: Economic evaluations from middle income regions differed in population studied, outcomes and definitions used. Most findings are in line with evidence from high-income countries highlighting that influenza vaccine is likely to provide value for money. However, serious methodological limitations do not allow drawing conclusions on cost-effectiveness of influenza vaccination in middle income countries. Evidence on cost-effectiveness from low-income countries is lacking altogether, and more information is needed from full economic evaluations that are conducted in a standardized manner. PMID:23732900

Associations between family food behaviors, maternal depression, and child weight among low-income children.

Science.gov (United States)

McCurdy, Karen; Gorman, Kathleen S; Kisler, Tiffani; Metallinos-Katsaras, Elizabeth

2014-08-01

Although low-income children are at greater risk for overweight and obesity than their higher income counterparts, the majority of poor children are not overweight. The current study examined why such variation exists among diverse young children in poor families. Cross-sectional data were collected on 164 low-income, preschool aged children and their mothers living in two Rhode Island cities. Over half of the sample was Hispanic (55%). Mothers completed measures of family food behaviors and depression while trained assistants collected anthropometric data from children at seven day care centers and a Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program outreach project. Multivariate analysis of covariance revealed that higher maternal depression scores were associated with lower scores on maternal presence when child eats (P maternal control of child's eating routines (P maternal presence whenever the child ate was significantly associated with lower child BMI z scores (β = .166, P Maternal depression did not modify the relationship between family food behaviors and child weight. Overall, caregiver presence whenever a child eats, not just at meals, and better parental food resource management skills may promote healthier weights in low-income preschoolers. Further research is needed to identify the mechanisms that connect caregiver presence and food resource management skills to healthier weights for this age group. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

CO2-reductions in low energy buildings and communities by implementation of low temperature district heating systems. Demonstration cases in Boligforeningen Ringgaarden and EnergyFlexHouse. Main report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Worm, J.

2011-05-15

The project consisted of 3 tasks. In task 1, the aim was, through demonstration in EnergyFlexHouse in Taastrup, to analyse the district heating tank in interaction with a larger low-energy house, and to analyse different patterns of hot water use in order to validate and further develop the concept of low temperature district heating (LTDH). In task 2, the aim was, through demonstration in the housing community Ringgaarden in Lystrup near Aarhus, to show that the low heat losses found in a previous project can be achieved in practice, and to further develop the technology of the concept. In task 3, the aim was to assess the potential for CO{sub 2} reductions and energy conservation in both new and existing district heating distribution systems using the concept of LTDH. Furthermore the aim was to analyse the implementation of LTDH in existing buildings and to analyse optimization of LTDH design. The present report is a summary of the results of the three tasks. Detailed results of each task are presented in three separate reports. (ln)

Performance of the Low-energy House in Sisimiut

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rode, Carsten; Kragh, Jesper; Borchersen, Egil

2009-01-01

A low-energy house was built in Sisimiut, Greenland in 2004-05 and since its inauguration in April 2005, its performance and operation have been object of study for researchers and students. The house is characterised by a highly insulated building envelope, advanced windows and a ventilation sys...

Cigarette Design Features in Low-, Middle-, and High-Income Countries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rosalie V. Caruso

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Previous studies have shown that country income grouping is correlated with cigarette engineering. Cigarettes (=111 brands were purchased during 2008–2010 from 11 low-, middle-, and high-income countries to assess physical dimensions and an array of cigarette design features. Mean ventilation varied significantly across low- (7.5%, middle- (15.3%, and high-income (26.2% countries (≤0.001. Differences across income groups were also seen in cigarette length (=0.001, length of the tipping paper (=0.01, filter weight (=0.017, number of vent rows (=0.003, per-cigarette tobacco weight (=0.04, and paper porosity (=0.008. Stepwise linear regression showed ventilation and tobacco length as major predictors of ISO tar yields in low-income countries (=0.909, 0.047, while tipping paper (<0.001, filter length (<0.001, number of vent rows (=0.014, and per-cigarette weight (=0.015 were predictors of tar yields in middle-income countries. Ventilation (<0.001, number of vent rows (=0.009, per-cigarette weight (<0.001, and filter diameter (=0.004 predicted tar yields in high-income countries. Health officials must be cognizant of cigarette design issues to provide effective regulation of tobacco products.

Indoor Temperatures in Low Cost Housing in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Science.gov (United States)

Naicker, Nisha; Teare, June; Balakrishna, Yusentha; Wright, Caradee Yael; Mathee, Angela

2017-11-18

Ambient and indoor temperature affects thermal comfort and human health. In a changing climate with a predicted change in temperature extremes, understanding indoor temperatures, both hot and cold, of different housing types is important. This study aimed to assess the hourly, daily and monthly variation in indoor temperatures in different housing types, namely formal houses, informal houses, flats, government-built low-cost houses and old, apartheid era low-cost housing, in five impoverished urban communities in Johannesburg, South Africa. During the cross-sectional survey of the Health, Environment and Development study data loggers were installed in 100 homes (20 per suburb) from February to May 2014. Indoor temperature and relative humidity were recorded on an hourly basis. Ambient outdoor temperatures were obtained from the nearest weather station. Indoor and outdoor temperature and relative humidity levels were compared; and an inter-comparison between the different housing types were also made. Apparent temperature was calculated to assess indoor thermal comfort. Data from 59 retrieved loggers showed a significant difference in monthly mean indoor temperature between the five different housing types ( p informal settlement houses had the greatest variation in temperature and experienced temperatures between 4 and 5 °C warmer than outdoor temperatures. Housing types occupied by poor communities experienced indoor temperature fluctuations often greater than that observed for ambient temperatures. Families living in government-built low-cost and informally-constructed homes are the most at risk for indoor temperature extremes. These types of housing should be prioritised for interventions aimed at assisting families to cope with extreme temperatures, gaining optimal thermal comfort and preventing temperature-related health effects.

Collaborating with a social housing provider supports a large cohort study of the health effects of housing conditions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael G. Baker

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Despite the importance of adequate, un-crowded housing as a prerequisite for good health, few large cohort studies have explored the health effects of housing conditions. The Social Housing Outcomes Worth (SHOW Study was established to assess the relationship between housing conditions and health, particularly between household crowding and infectious diseases. This paper reports on the methods and feasibility of using a large administrative housing database for epidemiological research and the characteristics of the social housing population. Methods This prospective open cohort study was established in 2003 in collaboration with Housing New Zealand Corporation which provides housing for approximately 5 % of the population. The Study measures health outcomes using linked anonymised hospitalisation and mortality records provided by the New Zealand Ministry of Health. Results It was possible to match the majority (96 % of applicant and tenant household members with their National Health Index (NHI number allowing linkage to anonymised coded data on their hospitalisations and mortality. By December 2011, the study population consisted of 11,196 applicants and 196,612 tenants. Half were less than 21 years of age. About two-thirds identified as Māori or Pacific ethnicity. Household incomes were low. Of tenant households, 44 % containing one or more smokers compared with 33 % for New Zealand as a whole. Exposure to household crowding, as measured by a deficit of one or more bedrooms, was common for applicants (52 % and tenants (38 % compared with New Zealanders as whole (10 %. Conclusions This project has shown that an administrative housing database can be used to form a large cohort population and successfully link cohort members to their health records in a way that meets confidentiality and ethical requirements. This study also confirms that social housing tenants are a highly deprived population with relatively low

Food Group Categories of Low-Income African American Women

Science.gov (United States)

Lynch, Elizabeth B.; Holmes, Shane

2011-01-01

Objective: Describe lay food group categories of low-income African American women and assess the overlap of lay food groups and MyPyramid food groups. Design: A convenience sample of African American mothers from a low-income Chicago neighborhood performed a card-sorting task in which they grouped familiar food items into food groups. Setting:…

Developmental Trends in Self-Regulation among Low-Income Toddlers

Science.gov (United States)

Raikes, H. Abigail; Robinson, JoAnn L.; Bradley, Robert H.; Raikes, Helen H.; Ayoub, Catherine C.

2007-01-01

The attainment of self-regulatory skills during the toddler years is an understudied issue, especially among low-income children. The present study used growth modeling to examine the change over time and the final status in children's abilities to self-regulate, in a sample of 2,441 low-income children aged 14 to 36 months. Positive growth in…

Occupant Experiences and Satisfaction with New Low-Energy Houses

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Knudsen, Henrik Nellemose; Thomsen, Kirsten Engelund; Mørck, Ove

2013-01-01

-energy houses that meet the future lower energy requirements of the planned Danish Building Regulations 2015. The purpose was to study experiences and satisfaction among occupants living in new low-energy houses. It included i.a. overall satisfaction, perceived indoor climate and experiences and satisfaction...... be addressed in order to make low-energy houses attractive to ordinary people. Occupants experienced among other things noise from the technical installations and that it was too hot in summer and too cold in winter, that there were a series of problems with the technical installations and that their use...

Rethinking Space Design Standards Toward Quality Affordable Housing In Malaysia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ishak Nor Haniza

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Provision of affordable housing is important to low- and middle-income population. A fit form of house will not only fulfil a basic human need for shelter, but it also contributes to physical and psychological well-being of the occupants. Excellent quality and affordable housing is an indication of a high quality of life. While writings exist on various aspects of the quality of affordable housing in Malaysia, discussion regarding space and design standards has scarcely been given any serious academic attention. Standards concerning residential development usually cover different aspects or stages of the development process. They can include planning standards, design standards, space standards and technical construction standards. The main concern of this paper is on space and design standards specifically. Space standard can be defined as a set of framework which dictates fixed internal space minimums. Meanwhile, design standard indicates design guidelines to ensure the functionality, comfortability and habitability of the house. This paper is concerned exclusively with indoor spaces of a house excluding external circulation spaces and service facilities (in case of strata housing. Its interest is in internal space as an aspect of housing quality. It can be concluded that one of the way forward will be to find the balance between providing adequate minimum spaces for resident satisfactions and having economic values for housing developers. This paper may be used as a valuable reference for authorities and policy makers to better address the best housing space design standards that would benefit not only the occupants, but also the local government and developers alike.

Nation's Capital to cover low-income women's abortions.

Science.gov (United States)

1994-04-15

Sharon Pratt Kelly, the mayor of the District of Columbia, has announced that, effective May 1, 1994, the city will use its Medical Charities Fund to pay for "medically appropriate" abortions for women with annual incomes of US$13,200 who do not have health insurance that covers abortions. This income level represents 185% of the federal poverty level for single women. The determination as to whether an abortion is "appropriate" will be made by the woman's physician. From 1989-93, there was a ban on the use of District of Columbia tax monies to cover abortions for local women. In 1988, however, approximately 4000 District women received funding for their abortions. The US$1 million Medical Charities Fund was originally set up to cover emergency room bills for low-income District residents who did not qualify for Medicaid. $650,000 is expected to be added to the fund; in addition, the District's 1995 budget will allocate funding earmarked for abortion coverage for low-income women.

How many low birthweight babies in low- and middle-income countries are preterm?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fernando C Barros

2011-06-01

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: To assess the prevalence of preterm birth among low birthweight babies in low and middle-income countries. METHODS: Major databases (PubMed, LILACS, Google Scholar were searched for studies on the prevalence of term and preterm LBW babies with field work carried out after 1990 in low- and middle-income countries. Regression methods were used to model this proportion according to LBW prevalence levels. RESULTS: According to 47 studies from 27 low- and middle-income countries, approximately half of all LBW babies are preterm rather than one in three as assumed in studies previous to the 1990s. CONCLUSIONS: The estimate of a substantially higher number of LBW preterm babies has important policy implications in view of special health care needs of these infants. As for earlier projections, our findings are limited by the relative lack of population-based studies.

Analysis on Occupants’ Satisfaction for Safety Performance Assessment in Low Cost Housing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Husin Husrul Nizam

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The delivery performance of the low cost housing is questioned since the occupants are prone towards safety hazards in the housing complex, such as structural instability and falling building fragments. Without defining the occupants’ requirements for the development of low cost housing, the prevailing safety factors are hard to be determined. This paper explores the rationale of safety performance assessment in the low cost housing by considering the occupants’ participation to achieve a better safety provision during occupancy period. Questionnaire survey was distributed to 380 occupants of the low cost housing in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor, Malaysia. The result shows that 80.8% of the respondents had expressed their dissatisfaction with the safety performance of the lift. By referring to the mode of ranking level, the most significant aspect rated by the respondents is Building Safety Features, with 51.6% respondents. The attained aspects can be fundamental parameters which can be considered in the future development of low cost housing.

Electronic Payment Adoption in the Banking Sector of Low-Income Countries

OpenAIRE

Teshome Alemu; Tridib Bandyopadhyay; Solomon Negash

2015-01-01

Banks in low-income countries are launching e-banking services such as Internet banking, SMS banking, ATM banking, card banking, point of sales (PoS) and mobile banking. Among these planned services, ATM is the most matured service in many private and state owned banks in Ethiopia. ATM is a recent phenomenon in low-income countries (; ), and is still being introduced in financial sectors in low-income countries (Angeli, 2008; ) making investigation of factors of ICT technology adoption in low...

Indoor air quality in mechanically ventilated residential dwellings/low-rise buildings: A review of existing information

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Aganovic, Amar; Hamon, Mathieu; Kolarik, Jakub

Mechanical ventilation has become a mandatory requirement in multiple European standards addressing indoor air quality (IAQ) and ventilation in residential dwellings (single family houses and low-rise apartment buildings). This article presents the state of the art study through a review...... of the existing literature, to establish a link between ventilation rate and key indoor air pollutants. Design characteristics of a mechanical ventilation system such as supply/exhaustairflow, system and design of supply and exhaust outlets were considered. The performance of various ventilation solutionswas......-house ventilation rate was reported below 0.5h-1 or 14 l/s·person in bedrooms, the concentrations of the pollutants elevated above minimum threshold limits (CO2>1350 ppm; TVOC >3000 μg/m3) defined by the standard. Insufficient or non-existent supply of air was related to significantly higher pollutant...

The low housing standard in Slovenia: Low purchasing power as an eternal excuse

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Richard Sendi

2013-01-01

Full Text Available This article advances and argues the thesis that Slovenia has a low housing standard and that the majority of people live in dwellings that may be described as overcrowded according to internationally recognised standards. Evidence supporting this thesis is provided with the help of statistical data, a comprehensive literature review and a review of the views of various Slovenian authors that have discussed the subject in the past. In addition to an extensive review of domestic and foreign literature, I also highlight the major historical factors that have significantly influenced the implementation and maintenance of the current housing standard. The final part of the article identifies and discusses a widely held false conviction that I characterise as the major obstruction to the introduction of a higher housing standard in Slovenia. In this section, I suggest alternative theoretical explanations for the continued maintenance of the low housing standard. The final aim of the article is to spur concrete actions that will lead to implementing appropriate measures and eventual improvement of the housing standard.

Japanese Social Exclusion and Inclusion from a Housing Perspective

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yoshihiro Okamoto

2016-10-01

Full Text Available This paper examines conditions of social exclusion and attempts at social inclusion in Japan from a housing perspective. Companies, households and the government have previously supported housing in Japan. However, corporate welfare was withdrawn following the globalization of the economy from the 1990s onwards, support from families and communities declined due to a reduction in household size, and governmental housing support has shifted away from direct support. A reduction in income and unstable work left many people with unstable housing. Certain workers, such as foreigners performing dispatched labour, could not maintain continuous work under the influence of the Lehman Brothers’ bankruptcy in 2008. Household size has shrunk according to changes in the industrial structure, and the number of households that cannot sustain housing is increasing. Such vulnerable households—elderly people, the handicapped, low-income earners and single parents—can become excluded from the rental housing market. On the other hand, governmental measures are promoting local dwellings and maintaining the condition for a dwelling service. Activities, such as local community support of the homeless have been initiated by various Non-profit Organisations (NPOs and NPO activities are increasingly exemplifying measures to achieve social inclusion.

HOME Income Limits

Data.gov (United States)

Department of Housing and Urban Development — HOME Income Limits are calculated using the same methodology that HUD uses for calculating the income limits for the Section 8 program. These limits are based on HUD...

Classification of low energy houses in Danish Building Regulations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rose, Jørgen; Svendsen, Svend

2005-01-01

The new Danish Building Regulations (Building Regulations, 2005) introduces the total energy consumption, i.e. energy use for heating, ventilation, cooling and domestic hot water, for buildings as a measure for the energy efficiency of new buildings, i.e. moving away from the former U-value demands....... In addition to the minimum requirements for new buildings, the new Building Regulations also specify requirements for characterizing a building as either low energy building class 1 or low energy building class 2. This paper describes a type-house that is presently being built in Denmark. The type......-house easily meets the requirements for being categorized as a low energy building class 1, and the paper investigates how much U-values can be increased if the type-house were to fulfil the requirements for a low energy building class 2 or a building that just fulfils the minimum demands....

13 CFR 108.710 - Requirement to finance Low-Income Enterprises.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... VENTURE CAPITAL (âNMVCâ) PROGRAM Financing of Small Businesses by NMVC Companies Determining the... of your Portfolio Concerns must be Low-Income Enterprises in which you have an Equity Capital... total dollars) in Equity Capital Investments in Low-Income Enterprises. (b) Non-compliance with this...

Childhood asthma in low income countries

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Østergaard, Marianne Stubbe; Nantanda, Rebecca; Tumwine, James K

2012-01-01

Bacterial pneumonia has hitherto been considered the key cause of the high respiratory morbidity and mortality in children under five years of age (under-5s) in low-income countries, while asthma has not been stated as a significant reason. This paper explores the definitions and concepts...... of pneumonia and asthma/wheezing/bronchiolitis and examines whether asthma in under-5s may be confused with pneumonia. Over-diagnosing of bacterial pneumonia can be suspected from the limited association between clinical pneumonia and confirmatory test results such as chest x-ray and microbiological findings...... and poor treatment results using antibiotics. Moreover, children diagnosed with recurrent pneumonia in infancy were often later diagnosed with asthma. Recent studies showed a 10-15% prevalence of preschool asthma in low-income countries, although under-5s with long-term cough and difficulty breathing...

Is there a Housing Bubble in Turkey?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Coskun Yener

2017-03-01

Full Text Available There was a notable housing price inflation in aggregate/local levels in Turkey during the last few years. Although the country’s economic fundamentals remain strong, the probability of a housing bubble is a heated debate among market participants. This timely investigation brings greater clarity to whether the Turkish housing market is in a bubble. The study uses a multi-strand approach to dissect the bubble over the period of Jan. 2010 - Dec. 2014. First, monthly/annual price-to-income and monthly price-to-rent ratios are examined for the national Turkish as well as regional Istanbul, Izmir and Ankara housing markets. Second, an extended CASE and SHILLER (2003 model is applied assessing the interdependence between housing prices and a series of explanatory variables. Lastly, the Right Tail Augmented Dickey-Fuller (Rtadf test is performed to support the overall analysis. This study finds that neither affordability ratios nor regression estimates support the existence of the bubble in Turkey.

78 FR 1224 - Supportive Housing for the Elderly; Advance Notice of Senior Preservation Rental Assistance...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-08

..., and for new very low income tenants (50 percent of AMI) upon unit turnover; and (2) Pool Two--those... low income tenants (50 percent of AMI) upon unit turnover, but rather for tenants at or below 80... Act of 1973, or Section 109 of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974; iv. Has received a...

Mass Housing and Changings in Housing Demand, Case of Diyarbakir, Turkey

OpenAIRE

M. Oguz Sinemillioglu; Can Tuncay Akın; Havva Özyılmaz

2005-01-01

The aim of this study is to analyze changings in housing demand, especially in term of house size in Diyarbakır case, in Turkey. Though Housing in Turkey is in a free market system, there is a Mass Housing Administration (TOKÃ ) has been doing mass houses for, relatively, middle class income people. Diyarbakır, one of the cities that TOKÃ has done two thousand houses, has taken too much migration, so that the demand in housing form and structure has different alterations. This process should ...

Retrofitting of existing housing stock

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Unterrainer, Walter

2015-01-01

The paper is a case study in retrofitting an urban quarter with social housing of the 1950´s and 1960´s - a model project in Amberg/Germany. It documents and discusses applied ´acupuncture´ and innovative strategies on very different scales as well as on different layers, in order to meet the goa...

Housing, energy and the environment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1991-02-01

In 1985 the Association published An Energy Policy for Housing, setting out recommendations for action by local authorities and central Government to tackle the problem of fuel poverty and the improvement of the energy efficiency of the nation's housing. Based on a survey of Association members and discussions with other relevant organisations, the report then concluded that, ''the Government has yet to demonstrate any real commitment to positive investment in an energy efficient housing stock''. Five years later, the Association decided to undertake another survey to establish the extent to which its recommendations have been acted upon and to assess other factors which might have affected the achievement of any energy efficient housing stock. This report is the result of that new survey and it shows that, whilst many more authorities have made progress in developing good practice, much local authority housing is still energy inefficient and many low income households still suffer from fuel poverty. (author).

Variations in Classroom Language Environments of Preschool Children Who Are Low Income and Linguistically Diverse

Science.gov (United States)

Sawyer, Brook; Atkins-Burnett, Sally; Sandilos, Lia; Scheffner Hammer, Carol; Lopez, Lisa; Blair, Clancy

2018-01-01

Research Findings: This study aimed to (a) provide an in-depth description of the frequency and type of language interactions that children who are low income and/or dual language learners (DLLs) experience in their classrooms and (b) examine whether differences exist in children's language experiences based on children's DLL status and level of…

The association between racial and gender discrimination and body mass index among residents living in lower-income housing.

Science.gov (United States)

Shelton, Rachel C; Puleo, Elaine; Bennett, Gary G; McNeill, Lorna H; Sorensen, Glorian; Emmons, Karen M

2009-01-01

Research on the association between self-reported racial or gender discrimination and body mass index (BMI) has been limited and inconclusive to date, particularly among lower-income populations. The aim of the current study was to examine the association between self-reported racial and gender discrimination and BMI among a sample of adult residents living in 12 urban lower-income housing sites in Boston, Masschusetts (USA). Baseline survey data were collected among 1,307 (weighted N = 1907) study participants. For analyses, linear regression models with a cluster design were conducted using SUDAAN and SAS statistical software. Our sample was predominately Black (weighted n = 956) and Hispanic (weighted n = 857), and female (weighted n = 1420), with a mean age of 49.3 (SE: .40) and mean BMI of 30.2 kg m(-2) (SE: .19). Nearly 47% of participants reported ever experiencing racial discrimination, and 24.8% reported ever experiencing gender discrimination. In bivariate and multivariable linear regression models, no main effect association was found between either racial or gender discrimination and BMI. While our findings suggest that self-reported discrimination is not a key determinant of BMI among lower-income housing residents, these results should be considered in light of study limitations. Future researchers may want to investigate this association among other relevant samples, and other social contextual and cultural factors should be explored to understand how they contribute to disparities.

Foreign Direct Investment Behaviour in Low and Middle Income ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

Does FDI actually stimulate growth and development in low-income ... Does FDI help reduce poverty and inequality and if so, under what circumstances? ... countries that share key features such as income level or economic structure.

Weekly and Twice-Weekly Yoga Classes Offer Similar Low-Back Pain Relief in Low-Income Minority Populations

Science.gov (United States)

... Weekly and Twice-Weekly Yoga Classes Offer Similar Low-Back Pain Relief in Low-Income Minority Populations Share: © Photodisc ... in minority and low-income populations with chronic low-back pain. Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine, Boston ...

Researching Entrepreneurship in Low-income Settlements

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gough, Katherine V.; Langevang, Thilde; Namatovu, Rebecca

2014-01-01

of entrepreneurship conducted in a low-income settlement, which combined participatory quantitative and qualitative approaches, highlighting the strengths and challenges of using participatory methods. The paper demonstrates how drawing on a range of participatory methods can contribute to creating more engaging...

26 CFR 1.42-5 - Monitoring compliance with low-income housing credit requirements.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... project, the 15-40 test under sections 42(g)(4) and 142 (d)(4)(B) for “deep rent skewed” projects; (ii... of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), 24 CFR 180.680, an adverse final decision by a substantially... in compliance at any time in the future, the Agency need not file Form 8823 in subsequent years to...

Space heating with ultra-low-temperature district heating - a case study of four single-family houses from the 1980s

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Østergaard, Dorte Skaarup; Svendsen, Svend

2017-01-01

. These benefits can be maximized if district heating temperatures are lowered as much as possible. In this paper we report on a project where 18 Danish single-family houses from the 1980s were supplied by ultra-low temperature district heating with a supply temperature as low as 45 degrees C for the main part...... of the year. The houses were heated by the existing hydraulic radiator systems, while domestic hot water was prepared by use of district heating and electric boosting. This paper evaluated the heating system temperatures that were necessary in order to maintain thermal comfort in four of the houses. First...... the four houses were modelled in the building simulation tool IDA ICE. The simulation models included the actual radiator sizes and the models were used to simulate the expected thermal comfort in the houses and resulting district heating return temperatures. Secondly measurements of the actual district...

Is Housing a Health Insult?

Science.gov (United States)

Baker, Emma; Beer, Andrew; Lester, Laurence; Pevalin, David; Whitehead, Christine; Bentley, Rebecca

2017-05-26

In seeking to understand the relationship between housing and health, research attention is often focussed on separate components of people's whole housing 'bundles'. We propose in this paper that such conceptual and methodological abstraction of elements of the housing and health relationship limits our ability to understand the scale of the accumulated effect of housing on health and thereby contributes to the under-recognition of adequate housing as a social policy tool and powerful health intervention. In this paper, we propose and describe an index to capture the means by which housing bundles influence health. We conceptualise the index as reflecting accumulated housing 'insults to health'-an Index of Housing Insults (IHI). We apply the index to a sample of 1000 low-income households in Australia. The analysis shows a graded association between housing insults and health on all outcome measures. Further, after controlling for possible confounders, the IHI is shown to provide additional predictive power to the explanation of levels of mental health, general health and clinical depression beyond more traditional proxy measures. Overall, this paper reinforces the need to look not just at separate housing components but to embrace a broader understanding of the relationship between housing and health.

Acquired heart disease in low-income and middle-income countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Curry, Chris; Zuhlke, Liesl; Mocumbi, Ana; Kennedy, Neil

2018-01-01

The burden of illness associated with acquired cardiac disease in children in low-income and middle-income countries (LMIC) is significant and may be equivalent to that of congenital heart disease. Rheumatic heart disease, endomyocardial fibrosis, cardiomyopathy (including HIV cardiomyopathy) and tuberculosis are the most important causes. All are associated with poverty with the neediest children having the least access to care. The associated mortality and morbidity is high. There is an urgent need to improve cardiac care in LMIC, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa and parts of Southeast Asia where the burden is highest. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Housing Habits and Their Implications for Life-Cycle Consumption and Investment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kraft, Holger; Munk, Claus; Wagner, Sebastian

We set up and solve a rich life-cycle model of household decisions involving consumption of both perishable goods and housing services, stochastic and unspanned labor income, stochastic house prices, home renting and owning, stock investments, and portfolio constraints. The model features habit...... formation for housing consumption, which leads to optimal decisions closer in line with empirical observations. Our model can explain (i) that stock investments are low or zero for many young agents and then gradually increasing over life, (ii) that the housing expenditure share is age- and wealth...

Views of Low-Income Women of Color at Increased Risk for Breast Cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

E Anderson, Emily; Tejada, Silvia; B Warnecke, Richard; Hoskins, Kent

2018-01-01

Individual risk assessment (IRA) for breast cancer may increase adherence to risk-appropriate screening and prevention measures. However, knowledge gaps exist regarding how best to communicate IRA results and support women at increased risk in future health care decisions, in part because patients conceptualize and make meaning of risk differently from the medical community. Better understanding the views of low-income women of color identified as being at increased risk for breast cancer can inform efforts to conduct IRA in an ethical and respectful manner. We conducted in-depth interviews with 13 low-income African American and Latina women who receive care at a federally qualified health center (FQHC) and had recently learned of their increased risk for breast cancer. These interviews explored their experience of the IRA process, their interpretation of what being at increased risk means, and their reactions to provider recommendations. Eight key themes were identified. We conclude with recommendations for the implementation of IRA for breast cancer in underserved primary care settings.

A Portrait of Low-Income Migrants in Contemporary Qatar

OpenAIRE

GARDNER, ANDREW; GARDNER, ANDREW; PESSOA, SILVIA; DIOP, ABDOULAYE; AL-GHANIM, KALTHAM; LE TRUNG, KIEN; HARKNESS, LAURA

2013-01-01

Though transnational labor migration in the Gulf States has increasingly been of scholarly interest, that scholarship has to date relied largely on qualitative ethnographic methodologies or small non-representative sampling strategies. This paper presents the findings of a large representative sample of low-income migrant laborers in Qatar. The data describe the basic characteristics of the low-income migrant population in Qatar, the process by which migrants obtain employment, the frequency ...

Socioeconomic inequities in the health and nutrition of children in low/middle income countries

OpenAIRE

Barros, Fernando C; Victora, Cesar G; Scherpbier, Robert; Gwatkin, Davidson

2010-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To describe the effects of social inequities on the health and nutrition of children in low and middle income countries. METHODS: We reviewed existing data on socioeconomic disparities within-countries relative to the use of services, nutritional status, morbidity, and mortality. A conceptual framework including five major hierarchical categories affecting inequities was adopted: socioeconomic context and position, differential exposure, differential vulnerability, differential hea...

Cardiovascular Risk and Events in 17 Low-, Middle-, and High-Income Countries.

OpenAIRE

Yusuf, S; Rangarajan, S; Teo, K; Islam, S; Li, W; Liu, L; Bo, J; Lou, Q; Lu, F; Liu, T; Yu, L; Zhang, S; Mony, P; Swaminathan, S; Mohan, V

2014-01-01

: More than 80% of deaths from cardiovascular disease are estimated to occur in low-income and middle-income countries, but the reasons are unknown. : We enrolled 156,424 persons from 628 urban and rural communities in 17 countries (3 high-income, 10 middle-income, and 4 low-income countries) and assessed their cardiovascular risk using the INTERHEART Risk Score, a validated score for quantifying risk-factor burden without the use of laboratory testing (with higher scores indicating greater r...

Review of quality assessment tools for family planning programmes in low- and middle-income countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Sprockett, Andrea

2017-03-01

Measuring and tracking the quality of healthcare is a critical part of improving service delivery, clinic efficiency and health outcomes. However, no standardized or widely accepted tool exists to assess the quality of clinic-based family planning services in low- and middle-income countries. The objective of this literature review was to identify widely used public domain quality assessment tools with existing or potential application in clinic-based family planning programmes. Using PubMed, PopLine, Google Scholar and Google, key terms such as ‘quality assessment tool’, ‘quality assessment method’, ‘quality measurement’, ‘LMIC’, ‘developing country’, ‘family planning’ and ‘reproductive health’ were searched for articles, identifying 20 relevant tools. Tools were assessed to determine the type of quality components assessed, divided into structure and process components, level of application (national or facility), health service domain that can be assessed by the tool, cost and current use of the tool. Tools were also assessed for shortcomings based on application in a low- and middle-income clinic-based family planning programme, including personnel required, re-assessment frequency, assessment of structure, process and outcome quality, comparability of data over time and across facilities and ability to benchmark clinic results to a national benchmark. No tools met all criteria, indicating a critical gap in quality assessment for low- and middle-income family planning programmes. To achieve Universal Health Coverage, agreed on in the Sustainable Development Goals and to improve system-wide healthcare quality, we must develop and widely adopt a standardized quality assessment tool.

Evaluation of Modeled and Measured Energy Savings in Existing All Electric Public Housing in the Pacific Northwest

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gordon, Andrew [Building America Partnership for Improved Residential Construction (BA-PIRC), Cocoa, FL (United States); Lubliner, Michael [Building America Partnership for Improved Residential Construction (BA-PIRC), Cocoa, FL (United States); Howard, Luke [Building America Partnership for Improved Residential Construction (BA-PIRC), Cocoa, FL (United States); Kunkle, Rick [Building America Partnership for Improved Residential Construction (BA-PIRC), Cocoa, FL (United States); Salzberg, Emily [Building America Partnership for Improved Residential Construction (BA-PIRC), Cocoa, FL (United States)

2014-04-01

This project analyzes the cost effectiveness of energy savings measures installed by a large public housing authority in Salishan, a community in Tacoma Washington. Research focuses on the modeled and measured energy usage of the first six phases of construction, and compares the energy usage of those phases to phase 7. Market-ready energy solutions were also evaluated to improve the efficiency of affordable housing for new and existing (built since 2001) affordable housing in the marine climate of Washington State.

Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring: A Complementary Strategy for Hypertension Diagnosis and Management in Low-Income and Middle-Income Countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Abdalla, Marwah

2017-02-01

Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) can assess out-of-clinic blood pressure. ABPM is an underutilized resource in low-income and middle-income countries but should be considered a complementary strategy to clinic blood pressure measurement for the diagnosis and management of hypertension. Potential uses for ABPM in low-income and middle-income countries include screening of high-risk individuals who have concurrent communicable diseases, such as HIV, and in task-shifting health care strategies. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Public Housing: A Tailored Approach to Energy Retrofits

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dentz, Jordan [Advanced Residential Integrated Energy Solutions (ARIES) Collaborative, New York, NY (United States); Conlin, Francis [Advanced Residential Integrated Energy Solutions (ARIES) Collaborative, New York, NY (United States); Podorson, David [Advanced Residential Integrated Energy Solutions (ARIES) Collaborative, New York, NY (United States); Alaigh, Kunal [Advanced Residential Integrated Energy Solutions (ARIES) Collaborative, New York, NY (United States)

2014-06-01

More than 1 million HUD-supported public housing units provide rental housing for eligible low-income families across the country. A survey of over 100 public housing authorities (PHAs) across the country indicated that there is a high level of interest in developing low-cost solutions that improve energy efficiency and can be seamlessly included in the refurbishment process. Further, PHAs, have incentives (both internal and external) to reduce utility bills. ARIES worked with two PHAs to develop packages of energy efficiency retrofit measures the PHAs can cost effectively implement with their own staffs in the normal course of housing operations when units are refurbished between occupancies. The energy efficiency turnover protocols emphasized air infiltration reduction, duct sealing and measures that improve equipment efficiency. ARIES documented implementation 10 ten housing units. Total source energy consumption savings was estimated at 6%-10% based on BEopt modeling with a simple payback of 1.7 to 2.2 years. At typical housing unit turnover rates, these measures could impact hundreds of thousands of units per year nationally.

Successful schools and risky behaviors among low-income adolescents.

Science.gov (United States)

Wong, Mitchell D; Coller, Karen M; Dudovitz, Rebecca N; Kennedy, David P; Buddin, Richard; Shapiro, Martin F; Kataoka, Sheryl H; Brown, Arleen F; Tseng, Chi-Hong; Bergman, Peter; Chung, Paul J

2014-08-01

We examined whether exposure to high-performing schools reduces the rates of risky health behaviors among low-income minority adolescents and whether this is due to better academic performance, peer influence, or other factors. By using a natural experimental study design, we used the random admissions lottery into high-performing public charter high schools in low-income Los Angeles neighborhoods to determine whether exposure to successful school environments leads to fewer risky (eg, alcohol, tobacco, drug use, unprotected sex) and very risky health behaviors (e.g., binge drinking, substance use at school, risky sex, gang participation). We surveyed 521 ninth- through twelfth-grade students who were offered admission through a random lottery (intervention group) and 409 students who were not offered admission (control group) about their health behaviors and obtained their state-standardized test scores. The intervention and control groups had similar demographic characteristics and eighth-grade test scores. Being offered admission to a high-performing school (intervention effect) led to improved math (P performance of public schools in low-income communities may be a powerful mechanism to decrease very risky health behaviors among low-income adolescents and to decrease health disparities across the life span. Copyright © 2014 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

achieving improved financing for low-income producers

African Journals Online (AJOL)

KEY WORDS: Approaches, Improved Access, Finance, Low-income, Producers. INTRODUCTION .... either by setting up a dual-purpose financial institution, or by making ..... management information systems (Braverman and. Huppi, 1991).

24 CFR 5.611 - Adjusted income.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Adjusted income. 5.611 Section 5... Serving Persons with Disabilities: Family Income and Family Payment; Occupancy Requirements for Section 8 Project-Based Assistance Family Income § 5.611 Adjusted income. Adjusted income means annual income (as...

Low Income Consumer Utility Issues: A National Perspective

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Eisenberg, J

2001-03-26

This report has been prepared to provide low-income advocates and other stakeholders information on the energy burden faced by low-income customers and programs designed to alleviate that burden in various states. The report describes programs designed to lower payments, manage arrearages, weatherize and provide other energy efficiency measures, educate consumers, increase outreach to the target It discusses the costs and benefits of the population, and evaluate the programs. various options--to the degree this information is available--and describes attempts to quantify benefits that have heretofore not been quantified. The purpose of this report is to enable the low-income advocates and others to assess the options and design program most suitable for the citizens of their states or jurisdictions. It is not the authors' intent to recommend a particular course of action but, based on our broad experience in the field, to provide the information necessary for others to do so. We would be happy to answer any questions or provide further documentation on any of the material presented herein. The original edition of this report was prepared for the Utah Committee on Consumer Services, pursuant to a contract with the National Consumer Law Center (NCLC), to provide information to the Utah Low-Income Task Force established by the Utah Public Service, Commission. Attachment 1 is drawn from NCLC's 1998 Supplement to its Access to Utility Services; NCLC plans to update this list in 2001, and it will be available then from NCLC. This report has been updated by the authors for this edition.

Income Migration and Home Price Trajectories in the United States

OpenAIRE

Samuel M. Otterstrom

2015-01-01

This paper models one facet of the relationship between housing market price shifts and income migration among U.S. regions: how income migration relates to regional housing price clusters. The tremendous negative slide in national housing prices from 2006 to 2012 had an uneven spatial distribution. These differences are explored within the context of net income and net population migration (movement of money with people). Median housing prices for urban areas from 2005 to 2010 and IRS county...

Experiencing fuel poverty. Coping strategies of low-income households in Vienna/Austria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brunner, Karl-Michael; Spitzer, Markus; Christanell, Anja

2012-01-01

Until the present day, research on fuel poverty focussing on the point of view of those concerned is few and far between. The present paper aims at filling this gap, analysing experiences with and behavioural responses to fuel poverty. It examines the day-to-day energy situation of households, which are poor/at-risk-of-poverty and/or suffering from fuel poverty in a case study conducted in the Austrian capital Vienna. Qualitative interviews provide the data for investigating the relevant factors in causing fuel poverty (among those, bad housing conditions, outdated appliances, financial problems), and provide a basis for discussion about the respective behavioural strategies of the people concerned. The results show that the ways of handling this problematic situation vary greatly and that people follow different strategies when it comes to inventing solutions for coping with the restrictions and finding ways of satisfying at least a part of their basic energy needs. Nonetheless, it also clearly surfaces that the scope of action is limited in many cases, which in turn only supports the claim that changes in the overall conditions are essential. - Highlights: ► This paper scrutinises experiences with and behavioural reactions to fuel poverty. ► Analysis of 50 qualitative interviews in Viennese low-income households. ► Low-income and/or fuel poor households face various strains. ► Ways of dealing with fuel poverty vary greatly, scope of action is limited. ► Households are very creative when it comes to coping with restricted conditions.

Keeping warm? Self-reported housing and home energy efficiency factors impacting on older people heating homes in North Wales

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burholt, Vanessa; Windle, Gill

2006-01-01

This paper examines a representative sample (N=421) of older people (aged 70+) living in rural North Wales with regard to relationships between fuel poverty, feeling cold in one's home and a range of self-reported housing and home energy efficiency items. In the Welsh context, the combination of poor housing stock and low-level income is likely to increase the chance of older people experiencing fuel poverty, therefore the analyses are relevant to both energy and social policy. The paper hypothesises that: (i) People in 'fuel poor' homes are: low-income households; living in older houses; lacking home energy efficiency measures; (ii) not all people facing difficulties heating their home (i.e. wearing extra clothing to keep warm during cold spells) are identified as 'fuel poor', but there will be an association between taking extra measures to keep warm and low income; older houses and lacking home energy efficiency factors. The results partially support the hypotheses. An estimation is made of the expenditure required to counter the factors associated with fuel poverty and cold homes in the region. The paper concludes with implications for the UK Fuel Poverty Strategy

24 CFR 570.504 - Program income.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 3 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Program income. 570.504 Section 570... income. (a) Recording program income. The receipt and expenditure of program income as defined in § 570... of program income received by recipients. (1) Program income received before grant closeout may be...

Encapsulating the delivery of affordable housing: An overview of Malaysian practice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jamaluddin Nor Baizura

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Urban population increases much faster than other geographical areas and this brings huge challenges to Malaysian government especially those responsible for the provision of housing. Moreover, the rise of living cost and pressure towards the current economic situation had inevitably led to huge demands for affordable housing. Thus, affordability and inaccessibility of people in owning a house has become one of the major issues in Malaysia. These issues are not only faced by the low-income group but mostly experienced by urban dwellers including the middle-income group whom are not eligible to apply for low-cost housing delivered by the government, yet cannot afford to buy a house. Hence, the Malaysian government had therefore established the Perumahan Rakyat 1 Malaysia (PR1MA as the catalyst in providing adequate, quality and affordable houses. Furthermore, the Syarikat Perumahan Negara Berhad (SPNB and the state governments also play their big role in providing affordable house at the state level. In trying to ensure smooth delivery of affordable housing, a systematic approach is required. This paper intends to examine the delivery of affordable housing in Malaysia. The objective was to assess the parties involved, and the various stages of the process. The methodology adopted for this study includes in-depth interviews with affordable housing agencies. Investigation showed that the major problem relates to a mismatch in the delivery of affordable housing. Moreover, the political and economic aspects, as well as the organization situation had also influenced the inefficiency of affordable housing delivery system. Additionally, the significant of this paper is expected to formulate an improved strategy and guidance in delivery system, thus ensuring that the method of practice is applicable throughout the country.

Role of the private sector in the provision of immunization services in low- and middle-income countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Levin, Ann; Kaddar, Miloud

2011-07-01

The authors conducted a literature review on the role of the private sector in low- and middle-income countries. The review indicated that relatively few studies have researched the role of the private sector in immunization service delivery in these countries. The studies suggest that the private sector is playing different roles and functions according to economic development levels, the governance structure and the general presence of the private sector in the health sector. In some countries, generally low-income countries, the private for-profit sector is contributing to immunization service delivery and helping to improve access to traditional EPI vaccines. In other countries, particularly middle-income countries, the private for-profit sector often acts to facilitate early adoption of new vaccines and technologies before introduction and generalization by the public sector. The not-for-profit sector plays an important role in extending access to traditional EPI vaccines, particularly in low-income countries. Not-for-profit facilities are situated in rural as well as urban areas and are more likely to be coordinated with public services than the private for-profit sector. Although numerous studies on non-governmental organizations (NGOs) suggest that the extent of NGO provision of immunization services in low- and middle-income countries is substantial, the contribution of this sector is poorly documented, leading to a lack of recognition of its role at national and global levels. Studies on quality of immunization service provision at private health facilities suggest that it is sometimes inadequate and needs to be monitored. Although some articles on public-private collaboration exist, little was found on the extent to which governments are effectively interacting with and regulating the private sector. The review revealed many geographical and thematic gaps in the literature on the role and regulation of the private sector in the delivery of immunization

24 CFR 81.17 - Affordability-Income level definitions-family size and income known (owner-occupied units, actual...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... definitions-family size and income known (owner-occupied units, actual tenants, and prospective tenants). 81...—Income level definitions—family size and income known (owner-occupied units, actual tenants, and...-income families, where the unit is owner-occupied or, for rental housing, family size and income...

Poverty and disability in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Banks, Lena Morgon; Kuper, Hannah; Polack, Sarah

2017-01-01

Disability and poverty are believed to operate in a cycle, with each reinforcing the other. While agreement on the existence of a link is strong, robust empirical evidence substantiating and describing this potential association is lacking. Consequently, a systematic review was undertaken to explore the relationship between disability and economic poverty, with a focus on the situation in low and middle income countries (LMICs). Ten electronic databases were searched to retrieve studies of any epidemiological design, published between 1990-March 2016 with data comparing the level of poverty between people with and without disabilities in LMICs (World Bank classifications). Poverty was defined using economic measures (e.g. assets, income), while disability included both broad assessments (e.g. self-reported functional or activity limitations) and specific impairments/disorders. Data extracted included: measures of association between disability and poverty, population characteristics and study characteristics. Proportions of studies finding positive, negative, null or mixed associations between poverty and disability were then disaggregated by population and study characteristics. From the 15,500 records retrieved and screened, 150 studies were included in the final sample. Almost half of included studies were conducted in China, India or Brazil (n = 70, 47%). Most studies were cross-sectional in design (n = 124, 83%), focussed on specific impairment types (n = 115, 77%) and used income as the measure for economic poverty (n = 82, 55%). 122 studies (81%) found evidence of a positive association between disability and a poverty marker. This relationship persisted when results were disaggregated by gender, measure of poverty used and impairment types. By country income group at the time of data collection, the proportion of country-level analyses with a positive association increased with the rising income level, with 59% of low-income, 67% of lower-middle and 72% of

Shopping Behaviors of Low-income Families during a 1-Month Period of Time

Science.gov (United States)

Darko, Janice; Eggett, Dennis L.; Richards, Rickelle

2013-01-01

Objective: To explore food shopping behaviors among low-income families over the course of the month. Design: Two researchers conducted 13 90-minute focus groups. Setting: Two community organizations serving low-income populations and a university campus. Participants: Low-income adults (n = 72) who were the primary household food shoppers and who…

The global cancer divide: Relationships between national healthcare resources and cancer outcomes in high-income vs. middle- and low-income countries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ali Batouli

2014-06-01

Conclusions: The analysis of this study suggested that cancer MIR is greater in middle/low-income countries. Furthermore, the WHO healthcare score was associated with improved cancer outcomes in middle/low-income countries while absolute levels of financial resources and infrastructure played a more important role in high-income countries.

Contraceptive use among low-income urban married women in India.

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, Manisha; Meena, Jyoti; Sharma, Sumedha; Poddar, Anju; Dhalliwal, Vikas; Modi-Satish Chander Modi, S C; Singh, Kamlesh

2011-02-01

The reports of a rise in contraceptive practices have not been matched by a similar decrease in population, so there is a need to look into the causes of this discrepancy. To obtain information from low-income urban married women regarding their contraceptive knowledge, practices, and utilization of the services. Percentage of low-income urban married women using contraception, different types of contraception used, influence of education on choice of contraception. All nonpregnant married women between the ages of 18 and 45 years, belonging to low-income groups were selected for study. Statistical analysis was done using EPI Info ver-5.0. Chi square test was used to test the significance of data. Contraceptive use among these women was 52%; the most common method was tubal ligation. Educated women used spacing methods more often than uneducated women. Women had adequate awareness regarding type of contraceptives available but had no idea about the timing of starting contraception after delivery and about emergency contraception. The low-income urban population is aware of the importance of limiting the family size and has family planning facilities yet has less contraceptive usage because of low level of education, increased rate of discontinuation, and lack of proper knowledge of the use of contraception. © 2010 International Society for Sexual Medicine.

Are low-to-middle-income households experiencing food insecurity in Victoria, Australia? An examination of the Victorian Population Health Survey, 2006-2009.

Science.gov (United States)

Kleve, Sue; Davidson, Zoe E; Gearon, Emma; Booth, Sue; Palermo, Claire

2017-07-01

Food insecurity affects health and wellbeing. Little is known about the relationship between food insecurity across income levels. This study aims to investigate the prevalence and frequency of food insecurity in low-to-middle-income Victorian households over time and identify factors associated with food insecurity in these households. Prevalence and frequency of food insecurity was analysed across household income levels using data from the cross-sectional 2006-09 Victorian Population Health Surveys (VPHS). Respondents were categorised as food insecure, if in the last 12 months they had run out of food and were unable to afford to buy more. Multivariable logistic regression was used to describe factors associated with food insecurity in low-to-middle-income households (A$40000-$80000 in 2008). Between 4.9 and 5.5% for total survey populations and 3.9-4.8% in low-to-middle-income respondents were food insecure. Food insecurity was associated with limited help from friends, home ownership status, inability to raise money in an emergency and cost of some foods. Food insecurity exists in households beyond those on a very low income. Understanding the extent and implications of household food insecurity across all income groups in Australia will inform effective and appropriate public health responses.

Sustainable solutions for Dutch housing. Reducing the Environmental Impacts of New and Existing Houses

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Klunder, G.

2005-04-12

Sustainable housing construction and management has, to date, been primarily based on an intuitive approach. Numerous measures have been formulated to promote sustainable construction and to reduce the environmental impacts of the built environment. However, little is yet known about the extent of the environmental benefits thereof. Moreover, methods and tools are mainly directed to new construction. This thesis makes clear that short-term environmental benefits in sustainable housing construction are rather limited. Renewal of the post-war housing stock offers excellent changes for improvement of the environmental performance of housing. With a newly developed method it is proven that renovation causes less environmental impacts than demolition followed by new construction. However, at the same time the usefulness of Life Cycle Assessment for buildings is doubted.

24 CFR 85.25 - Program income.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Program income. 85.25 Section 85.25... TRIBAL GOVERNMENTS Post-Award Requirements Financial Administration § 85.25 Program income. (a) General. Grantees are encouraged to earn income to defray program costs. Program income includes income from fees...

Prevalence and knowledge of urinary incontinence and possibilities of treatment among low-income working women

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amabily Carolline Zago

Full Text Available Abstract Introduction: Urinary incontinence (UI can affect women's lives in all areas, including in the occupational context, due to an uncomfortable workplace, incorrect positions for long periods of time and the handling of heavy items. Another worrying aspect is that the knowledge about urinary incontinence, in the health area, and its forms of treatment is still small among the low-income population. Objective: To verify the prevalence and knowledge about urinary incontinence and treatment possibilities among low-income working women. Methods: A cross-sectional study carried out on working women of a poultry processing plant. Results: The study included 136 women with an average age of 33.7 ± 9.7 years; body mass index of 26.6 ± 5.6 kg/m2; parity of 2.1 ± 1.1 children; monthly income of 2.3 ± 1 minimum wages. Of those interviewed, 63.9% were white; 44.8% had incomplete primary education; 52.9% were single; 53.6% underwent cesarean section delivery; and of those who underwent normal labor delivery, 86.6% underwent episiotomy. The prevalence of urinary incontinence was found to be 2.9%, and among the women affected, two reported that UI led to sexual, social, water and occupational restriction, and one of them believes that UI interferes with her concentration and productivity in the workplace. Regarding health knowledge, 46.3% had never heard of urinary incontinence before, and more than half (66.1% did not know about the existence of medical treatment. All women interviewed (100% were unaware of the existence of physiotherapeutic treatment. Conclusion: The prevalence of urinary incontinence was among those interviewed was small, however, the knowledge about the symptoms and possibilities of medical, and mainly physiotherapeutic treatment. is scarce among these women. This study allows to alert and to guide the health professionals and the society about the importance of actions that promote health education in the low income population

Prevalence of Hypertension in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

Science.gov (United States)

Sarki, Ahmed M.; Nduka, Chidozie U.; Stranges, Saverio; Kandala, Ngianga-Bakwin; Uthman, Olalekan A.

2015-01-01

Abstract We aimed to obtain overall and regional estimates of hypertension prevalence, and to examine the pattern of this disease condition across different socio-demographic characteristics in low-and middle-income countries. We searched electronic databases from inception to August 2015. We included population-based studies that reported hypertension prevalence using the current definition of blood pressure ≥140/90 mm Hg or self-reported use of antihypertensive medication. We used random-effects meta-analyses to pool prevalence estimates of hypertension, overall, by World Bank region and country income group. Meta-regression analyses were performed to explore sources of heterogeneity across the included studies. A total of 242 studies, comprising data on 1,494,609 adults from 45 countries, met our inclusion criteria. The overall prevalence of hypertension was 32.3% (95% confidence interval [CI] 29.4–35.3), with the Latin America and Caribbean region reporting the highest estimates (39.1%, 95% CI 33.1–45.2). Pooled prevalence estimate was also highest across upper middle income countries (37.8%, 95% CI 35.0–40.6) and lowest across low-income countries (23.1%, 95% CI 20.1–26.2). Prevalence estimates were significantly higher in the elderly (≥65 years) compared with younger adults (hypertension prevalence (31.9% vs 30.8%, P = 0.6). Persons without formal education (49.0% vs 24.9%, P hypertensive, compared with those who were educated, normal weight, and rural settlers respectively. This study provides contemporary and up-to-date estimates that reflect the significant burden of hypertension in low- and middle-income countries, as well as evidence that hypertension remains a major public health issue across the various socio-demographic subgroups. On average, about 1 in 3 adults in the developing world is hypertensive. The findings of this study will be useful for the design of hypertension screening and treatment programmes in low- and middle-income

Arts Enrichment and Preschool Emotions for Low-Income Children at Risk

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Eleanor D.; Sax, Kacey L.

2013-01-01

No studies to date examine the impact of arts-integrated preschool programming on the emotional functioning of low-income children at risk for school problems. The present study examines observed emotion expression and teacher-rated emotion regulation for low-income children attending Settlement Music School's Kaleidoscope Preschool Arts…

24 CFR 236.60 - Excess Income.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Excess Income. 236.60 Section 236... § 236.60 Excess Income. (a) Definition. Excess Income consists of cash collected as rent from the... Rent. The unit-by-unit requirement necessitates that, if a unit has Excess Income, the Excess Income...

24 CFR 1003.503 - Program income.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 4 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Program income. 1003.503 Section....503 Program income. (a) Program income requirements for ICDBG grantees are set forth in 24 CFR 85.25, as modified by this section. (b) Program income means gross income received by the grantee or a...

My child at mealtime: A visually enhanced self-assessment of feeding styles for low-income parents of preschoolers.

Science.gov (United States)

Ontai, Lenna L; Sitnick, Stephanie L; Shilts, Mical K; Townsend, Marilyn S

2016-04-01

The importance of caregiver feeding styles on children's dietary outcomes is well documented. However, the instruments used to assess feeding style are limited by high literacy demands, making selfassessment with low-income audiences challenging. The purpose of the current study is to report on the development of My Child at Mealtime (MCMT), a self-assessment tool with reduced literacy demands, designed to measure feeding styles with parents of preschool-aged children. Cognitive interviews were conducted with 44 Head Start parents of 2-5 year old children to develop question wording and identify appropriate visuals. The resulting tool was administered to 119 ethnically diverse, low-income parents of 2-5 year old children. Factor analysis resulted in a two-factor structure that reflects responsiveness and demandingness in a manner consistent with existing assessment tools. Results indicate the final visually enhanced MCMT self-assessment tool provides a measure of parenting style consistent with existing measures, while reducing the literacy demand. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ventilation in low energy housing retrofits

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mlecnik, E.

2008-01-01

According to the definition, passive houses in Europe meet a target energy demand for heating of less than 15 kWh per square meter and per year. This low level for the heating demand is based on heating by a small post-heater in the hygienic ventilation system at 52 °C maximum, while the ventilation

Impacts of urbanization on national transport and road energy use: Evidence from low, middle and high income countries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Poumanyvong, Phetkeo; Kaneko, Shinji; Dhakal, Shobhakar

2012-01-01

Few attempts have been made to investigate quantitatively and systematically the impact of urbanization on transport energy use for countries of different stages of economic development. This paper examines the influence of urbanization on national transport and road energy use for low, middle and high income countries during 1975–2005, using the Stochastic Impacts by Regression on Population, Affluence and Technology (STIRPAT) model. After controlling for population size, income per capita and the share of services in the economy, the main results suggest that urbanization influences national transport and road energy use positively. However, the magnitude of its influence varies among the three income groups. Changes in urbanization appear to have a greater impact on transport and road energy use in the high income group than in the other groups. Surprisingly, the urbanization elasticities of transport and road energy use in the middle income group are smaller than those of the low income group. This study not only sheds further light on the existing literature, but also provides policy makers with insightful information on the link between urbanization and transport energy use at the three different stages of development. - Highlights: ► Overall, urbanization increases national transport and road energy use. ► Urbanization elasticities of transport energy use differ across development stages. ► Urbanization elasticities in high-income group are higher than in other groups.

Multifamily Tax Subsidy Income Limits

Data.gov (United States)

Department of Housing and Urban Development — Multifamily Tax Subsidy Projects (MTSP) Income Limits were developed to meet the requirements established by the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 (Public...

A realist synthesis of cross-border patient movement from low and middle income countries to similar or higher income countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Durham, Jo; Blondell, Sarah J

2017-08-29

Patient travel across borders to access healthcare is becoming increasingly common and widespread. Patients moving from high income to middle income countries for healthcare is well documented, with patients seeking treatments that are cheaper or more readily available than at home. Less well understood is when patients move from one low income country to another or from a low income country to a higher income country. In this paper, a realist review was undertaken to explore why, in what contexts and how patients from lower income countries travel to countries with the same, or more advanced, economies for planned healthcare. Based on an initial scoping of the literature and discussions with key informants, we generated an initial theory and set of propositions about why, how, who and in what contexts people cross international borders for planned healthcare. We then systematically located and synthesized (1) peer-reviewed studies from the Scopus, Embase, Web of Science and Econlit databases; (2) non-indexed reports using key informants and Google; and (3) papers from the reference lists of included documents, to glean supportive or contradictory evidence for our initial propositions. As we reviewed the literature and extracted our data, we drew on the work of Pierre Bourdieu to understand the interplay between material and non-material capital and cognitive processes in decisions to cross borders for healthcare. Patient travel was largely undertaken due to a lack of services in the home country and/or unacceptability of local services, with decisions on when, and where, to travel, usually made within the patient's social networks. They were able to travel via use of multiple resources, including social networks, economic and cultural capital, and habitus. Those patients with greater volumes of the aforementioned factors had greater healthcare options; however, even those with limited resources engaged in patient travel. Patient movement challenges traditional

76 FR 52057 - Proposed Fair Market Rents for the Housing Choice Voucher Program and Moderate Rehabilitation...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-08-19

... that could have serious programmatic implications, particularly for Section 8 project-based and tax.... Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI HMFA New Haven-Meriden, CT HMFA. Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE... surrounding the timing of the publication of income limits could worsen and owners of Low Income Housing Tax...

The Special Importance of Housing Policy for the Housing Situation of Ethnic Minorities

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Hans Skifter; Magnusson Turner, Lena; Søholt, Susanne

The purpose of this article is to uncover, whether housing policy has a special importance for immigrants, compared with the whole population, by comparing housing policies and immigrants’ housing outcomes in four Nordic countries: Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden. There are substantial...... population varies much. These differences can only to some extent be explained by income inequalities on the housing markets in the countries, inequalities that affect immigrants. Other important explanations of why immigrants perform worse on the housing market is the shortage of rental housing (Norway......’ housing options are strict needs test for social/public housing (Finland)....

The Special Importance of Housing Policy for the Housing Situation of Ethnic Minorities

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Hans Skifter; Turner, Lena Magnusson; Søholt, Susanne

2013-01-01

The purpose of this article is to uncover, whether housing policy has a special importance for immigrants, compared with the whole population, by comparing housing policies and immigrants’ housing outcomes in four Nordic countries: Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden. There are substantial...... population varies much. These differences can only to some extent be explained by income inequalities on the housing markets in the countries, inequalities that affect immigrants. Other important explanations of why immigrants perform worse on the housing market is the shortage of rental housing (Norway......’ housing options are strict needs test for social/public housing (Finland)....

Satisfaction with indoor climate in new Danish low-energy houses

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Knudsen, Henrik Nellemose; Mortensen, Lone Hedegaard; Kragh, Jesper

2015-01-01

on a questionnaire survey. The survey evaluated overall satisfaction, and more specifically satisfaction with the indoor climate parameters temperature, draught, air quality, noise and daylight, and also technical installations of the house. The survey showed satisfaction with living in new low-energy houses...

Housing policy, poverty, and culture: 'discounting' decisions among Pacific peoples in Auckland, New Zealand

OpenAIRE

Tarin Cheer; Robin Kearns; Laurence Murphy

2002-01-01

This paper explores the links between housing and other welfare policies, low income, and culture among Pacific peoples within Auckland, New Zealand. These migrant peoples occupy an ambiguous social space within Auckland: they represent the visible face of the world's largest Polynesian city, yet are occupants of some of the city's poorest and least health-promoting housing. Through considering the balance between choice and constraint, we examine how housing costs, poverty, and cultural prac...

Promoting food security of low income women in central Uganda

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Midtvåge, Runa; Hiranandani, Vanmala Sunder; Nambuanyi, Lekunze Ransom

• Midtvåge, R., Hiranandani, V. S., & Lekunze, R. (2014). Promoting food security of low income women in central Uganda. Poster presentation, Sustainability Science Congress, University of Copenhagen, Denmark, October 22-24, 2014.......• Midtvåge, R., Hiranandani, V. S., & Lekunze, R. (2014). Promoting food security of low income women in central Uganda. Poster presentation, Sustainability Science Congress, University of Copenhagen, Denmark, October 22-24, 2014....

What is the private sector? Understanding private provision in the health systems of low-income and middle-income countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Mackintosh, Maureen; Channon, Amos; Karan, Anup; Selvaraj, Sakthivel; Cavagnero, Eleonora; Zhao, Hongwen

2016-08-06

Private health care in low-income and middle-income countries is very extensive and very heterogeneous, ranging from itinerant medicine sellers, through millions of independent practitioners-both unlicensed and licensed-to corporate hospital chains and large private insurers. Policies for universal health coverage (UHC) must address this complex private sector. However, no agreed measures exist to assess the scale and scope of the private health sector in these countries, and policy makers tasked with managing and regulating mixed health systems struggle to identify the key features of their private sectors. In this report, we propose a set of metrics, drawn from existing data that can form a starting point for policy makers to identify the structure and dynamics of private provision in their particular mixed health systems; that is, to identify the consequences of specific structures, the drivers of change, and levers available to improve efficiency and outcomes. The central message is that private sectors cannot be understood except within their context of mixed health systems since private and public sectors interact. We develop an illustrative and partial country typology, using the metrics and other country information, to illustrate how the scale and operation of the public sector can shape the private sector's structure and behaviour, and vice versa. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The consequences of high cigarette excise taxes for low-income smokers.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Matthew C Farrelly

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: To illustrate the burden of high cigarette excise taxes on low-income smokers. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Using data from the New York and national Adult Tobacco Surveys from 2010-2011, we estimated how smoking prevalence, daily cigarette consumption, and share of annual income spent on cigarettes vary by annual income (less than $30,000; $30,000-$59,999; and more than $60,000. The 2010-2011 sample includes 7,536 adults and 1,294 smokers from New York and 3,777 adults and 748 smokers nationally. Overall, smoking prevalence is lower in New York (16.1% than nationally (22.2% and is strongly associated with income in New York and nationally (P<.001. Smoking prevalence ranges from 12.2% to 33.7% nationally and from 10.1% to 24.3% from the highest to lowest income group. In 2010-2011, the lowest income group spent 23.6% of annual household income on cigarettes in New York (up from 11.6% in 2003-2004 and 14.2% nationally. Daily cigarette consumption is not related to income. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Although high cigarette taxes are an effective method for reducing cigarette smoking, they can impose a significant financial burden on low-income smokers.

Air Tightness and Energy Performance of an Arctic Low-Energy House

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rode, Carsten; Vladyková, Petra; Kotol, Martin

2010-01-01

A low-energy house has been built in Sisimiut, Greenland, five years ago. An ambitious target was set for its low energy consumption for heating: 80 kWh/(m2∙a). But unfortunately, the house has used more energy than planned, approximately 140 kWh/(m2∙a). Although higher than anticipated, this is ...

After-school programs for low-income children: promise and challenges.

Science.gov (United States)

Halpern, R

1999-01-01

Children's out-of-school time, long a low-level source of public concern, has recently emerged as a major social issue. This, in turn, has heightened interest in the heterogeneous field of after-school programs. This article provides a profile of after-school programs for low-income children, focusing on supply and demand, program emphases, and program sponsors and support organizations. It also discusses the major challenges facing the field in the areas of facilities, staffing, and financing. Details and examples are drawn from the ongoing evaluation of a specific after-school program initiative called MOST (Making the Most of Out-of-School Time), which seeks to strengthen after-school programs in Boston, Chicago, and Seattle. Looking ahead, the article highlights the pros and cons of options for increasing coverage to reach more low-income children, strengthening programs, expanding funding, and articulating an appropriate role for after-school programs to fill in the lives of low-income children.

Federally Funded Education and Job Training Programs for Low-Income Youth

Science.gov (United States)

Dworsky, Amy

2011-01-01

With the growing demand for highly skilled workers and declining wages for those who are less skilled, low-income youth with limited education and no work experience have few opportunities for gainful employment. Since the Great Depression, the federal government has been funding programs that provide low-income, out-of-school, and unemployed…

Causality between trade openness and energy consumption: What causes what in high, middle and low income countries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shahbaz, Muhammad; Nasreen, Samia; Ling, Chong Hui; Sbia, Rashid

2014-01-01

This paper explores the relationship between trade openness and energy consumption using data of 91 high, middle and low income countries. The study covers the period of 1980–2010. We have applied panel cointegration to examine long run relationship between the variables. The direction of causal relationship between trade openness is investigated by applying Homogenous non-causality, Homogenous causality and Heterogeneous causality tests. Our variables are integrated at I(1) confirmed by time series and panel unit root tests and cointegration is found between trade openness and energy consumption. The relationship between trade openness and energy consumption is inverted U-shaped in high income countries but U-shaped in middle and low income countries. The homogenous and non-homogenous causality analysis reveals the bidirectional causality between trade openness and energy consumption. This paper opens up new insights for policy makers to design a comprehensive economic, trade and policies for sustainable economic growth in long run following heterogeneous causality findings. - Highlights: • Trade openness and energy consumption are cointegrated for long run. • The feedback effect exists between trade openness and energy consumption. • The inverted U-shaped relationship is found between both variables in high income countries

Post-Tsunami Reconstruction in Sri Lanka: Houses or Housing?

Science.gov (United States)

Khazai, B.; Franco, G.; Ingram, J. C.; Rumbaitis del Rio, C.

2005-12-01

Reconstruction can be an opportunity to address longer-term livelihood vulnerability within poor communities and households, and to empower the most vulnerable. The post-tsunami reconstruction efforts in Sri Lanka can be seen on two disconnected scales. On a local scale there seems to be a growing recognition by district-level government and NGOs on the importance of households in creating social, human and financial capital, as demonstrated by many programs targeted at rebuilding livelihoods and income-generating activities. On a national scale, however, programs have revealed an emphasis on houses as the physical capital rather than housing as the arena of social and economic life. The aim of national-scale programs is to deliver tangible and quantifiable products, in the form of houses built, often without regard of whether this complements or disrupts livelihoods. One example of such a directive is the implementation of a coastal buffer zone which will ban any new construction within a 100 to 200 meter band from the ocean and allowing only structures that sustained less than 40 percent damage to remain and rebuild. In general these kind of surviving structures along the coast are businesses such as hotels and restaurants. In an island nation such as Sri Lanka, where beach front property is by and large considered low-income housing, typically inhabited by fishermen who rely on the ocean for their livelihoods, the buffer zone constitutes a drastic oversight of local processes shaping these households. The product-oriented solution on the national scale has resulted in building permanent houses for fishery communities in resettlement sites kilometers away from the ocean. The focus of this presentation will be on reconciling the need for immediate shelter needs with a long-term perspective of livelihood rehabilitation using Sri Lanka as a case study. Houses themselves are often not an immediate priority for local people, whose first need is likely to resume income

High resolution population maps for low income nations: combining land cover and census in East Africa.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrew J Tatem

2007-12-01

Full Text Available Between 2005 and 2050, the human population is forecast to grow by 2.7 billion, with the vast majority of this growth occurring in low income countries. This growth is likely to have significant social, economic and environmental impacts, and make the achievement of international development goals more difficult. The measurement, monitoring and potential mitigation of these impacts require high resolution, contemporary data on human population distributions. In low income countries, however, where the changes will be concentrated, the least information on the distribution of population exists. In this paper we investigate whether satellite imagery in combination with land cover information and census data can be used to create inexpensive, high resolution and easily-updatable settlement and population distribution maps over large areas.We examine various approaches for the production of maps of the East African region (Kenya, Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda and Tanzania and where fine resolution census data exists, test the accuracies of map production approaches and existing population distribution products. The results show that combining high resolution census, settlement and land cover information is important in producing accurate population distribution maps.We find that this semi-automated population distribution mapping at unprecedented spatial resolution produces more accurate results than existing products and can be undertaken for as little as $0.01 per km(2. The resulting population maps are a product of the Malaria Atlas Project (MAP: http://www.map.ox.ac.uk and are freely available.

High Resolution Population Maps for Low Income Nations: Combining Land Cover and Census in East Africa

Science.gov (United States)

Tatem, Andrew J.; Noor, Abdisalan M.; von Hagen, Craig; Di Gregorio, Antonio; Hay, Simon I.

2007-01-01

Background Between 2005 and 2050, the human population is forecast to grow by 2.7 billion, with the vast majority of this growth occurring in low income countries. This growth is likely to have significant social, economic and environmental impacts, and make the achievement of international development goals more difficult. The measurement, monitoring and potential mitigation of these impacts require high resolution, contemporary data on human population distributions. In low income countries, however, where the changes will be concentrated, the least information on the distribution of population exists. In this paper we investigate whether satellite imagery in combination with land cover information and census data can be used to create inexpensive, high resolution and easily-updatable settlement and population distribution maps over large areas. Methodology/Principal Findings We examine various approaches for the production of maps of the East African region (Kenya, Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda and Tanzania) and where fine resolution census data exists, test the accuracies of map production approaches and existing population distribution products. The results show that combining high resolution census, settlement and land cover information is important in producing accurate population distribution maps. Conclusions We find that this semi-automated population distribution mapping at unprecedented spatial resolution produces more accurate results than existing products and can be undertaken for as little as $0.01 per km2. The resulting population maps are a product of the Malaria Atlas Project (MAP: http://www.map.ox.ac.uk) and are freely available. PMID:18074022

Prevalence of Food Addiction Among Low-Income Reproductive-Aged Women.

Science.gov (United States)

Berenson, Abbey B; Laz, Tabassum H; Pohlmeier, Ali M; Rahman, Mahbubur; Cunningham, Kathryn A

2015-09-01

Hyperpalatable foods (i.e., high in salt, sugar, or fat) have been shown to have addictive properties that may contribute to overeating. Prior studies conducted on food addiction behaviors are mostly based on white and middle-aged women. Data are not available, however, on reproductive-aged women from other races/ethnicities or low-income women. The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence and correlates of food addiction among multiethnic women of low socioeconomic status. We conducted a cross-sectional survey of health behaviors, including food addiction according to the Yale Food Addiction Scale (YFAS) between July 2010 and February 2011 among 18- to 40-year-old low-income women attending reproductive-health clinics (N = 1,067). Overall, 2.8% of women surveyed met the diagnosis of food addiction. The prevalence of food addiction did not differ by age group, race/ethnicity, education, income, or body mass index categories, tobacco and alcohol use, or physical activity. However, it did differ by level of depression (p addiction among low-income, reproductive-aged women. Racial differences were observed in the YFAS symptom count score, but not in the overall prevalence of food addition. Additionally, women with food addiction had higher levels of depression than women without food addiction.

77 FR 56857 - Notice of Proposed Information Collection for Public Comment; Public Housing Mortgage Program and...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-09-14

... of the loan resulting from the mortgage or security interest are used for low-income housing uses... mortgage or security interest in any public housing real estate or other assets, a proposal must be submitted to HUD. After approval and execution of any legal documents associated with the loan and related...

77 FR 70175 - Notice of Submission of Proposed Information Collection to OMB; Public Housing Mortgage Program...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-11-23

... public housing real property or grant a security interest in other tangible forms of personal property if the proceeds of the loan resulting from the mortgage or security interest are used for low- income..., October 21, 1998) added Section 30, Public Housing Mortgages and Security Interest, to the United States...

Depressive symptoms of house-poor persons: Korean panel data evidence.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Tae-Hoon; Park, Eun-Cheol; Kim, Woorim; Kim, Juyeong; Shin, Jaeyong; Kim, Tae Hyun

2016-09-01

There are no studies researching the relationship between house-poor persons and mental health. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the relationship between house-poor status and depressive symptoms. To examine the relationship between the house-poor and depressive symptoms according to household income. Data from the Korean Welfare Panel Study were used. House-poor were defined as people having possession with over 10% house-related interest in disposable income. About 7,565 participants over the age of 19 years were followed up from 2011 to 2013. The generalized estimating equations were used for analysis. Individuals with more house-related debt showed increasingly higher depression scores (possession with under 5% related debt to disposable income β = 0.2024, p = .1544; under 10% β = 0.7030, p = .0008; over 10% β = 1.3207, p debts to disposable income had higher depression scores than individuals without house ownership (no possession β = 0.8927, p < .0001). Individuals without houses and individuals owning houses with higher percentages of house-related interests showed higher levels of depressive symptoms. Therefore, this study affirmed that the importance of considering the most vulnerable groups in addressing the mental health of individual. © The Author(s) 2016.

Household expenditure for dental care in low and middle income countries.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohd Masood

Full Text Available This study assessed the extent of household catastrophic expenditure in dental health care and its possible determinants in 41 low and middle income countries. Data from 182,007 respondents aged 18 years and over (69,315 in 18 low income countries, 59,645 in 15 lower middle income countries and 53,047 in 8 upper middle income countries who participated in the WHO World Health Survey (WHS were analyzed. Expenditure in dental health care was defined as catastrophic if it was equal to or higher than 40% of the household capacity to pay. A number of individual and country-level factors were assessed as potential determinants of catastrophic dental health expenditure (CDHE in multilevel logistic regression with individuals nested within countries. Up to 7% of households in low and middle income countries faced CDHE in the last 4 weeks. This proportion rose up to 35% among households that incurred some dental health expenditure within the same period. The multilevel model showed that wealthier, urban and larger households and more economically developed countries had higher odds of facing CDHE. The results of this study show that payments for dental health care can be a considerable burden on households, to the extent of preventing expenditure on basic necessities. They also help characterize households more likely to incur catastrophic expenditure on dental health care. Alternative health care financing strategies and policies targeted to improve fairness in financial contribution are urgently required in low and middle income countries.

Planning of solar heated plant for low-energy houses and passive houses. An introduction; Planlegging av solvarmeanlegg for lavenergiboliger og passivhus. En introduksjon

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Andresen, Inger

2008-07-01

This guide gives an introduction to the most important principles in planning and projecting of solar heated plant in low-energy houses and passive houses. It is written mainly for architects and consultants involved in housing projects with ambitions to achieve low-energy or passive house standard, but will also be of value for builders and others interested in the topic. (AG). 35 refs., 27 figs

Is There a Link between Low Parental Income and Childhood Obesity?

Science.gov (United States)

Shackleton, Nichola

2017-01-01

The association between familial socioeconomic status and child obesity has created the expectation that low familial income increases the risk of child obesity. Yet, there is very little evidence in the United Kingdom to suggest that this is the case. This article focuses on whether low familial income and family poverty are associated with an…

Using social media to communicate child health information to low-income parents.

Science.gov (United States)

Stroever, Stephanie J; Mackert, Michael S; McAlister, Alfred L; Hoelscher, Deanna M

2011-11-01

The objective of this study was to determine the value of using social media to communicate child health information to low-income parents. We evaluated qualitative data obtained through focus groups with low-income, predominantly Hispanic parents. Results were mixed; lack of time and credibility were the primary objections parents cited in using social media to obtain information about their children's health. Social media has value as part of an overall communication strategy, but more work is needed to determine the most effective way to use this channel in low-income populations.

Science for Agriculture and Rural Development in Low-Income Countries

Science.gov (United States)

Barros, Vicente

2008-09-01

During recent months, another sign of the global fragility to sustain the increasing human demand for resources has appeared with merciless cruelty. Increasing food prices, paradoxically driven to a large extent by the rapid economic growth of vast regions of the emerging world, are affecting hundreds of millions of the poorest people in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. As described in Science for Agriculture and Rural Development in Low-Income Countries, most of the poorest people in these low-income countries live in rural areas and are engaged in agriculture or related activities. Because many people in these areas are engaged in subsistence agriculture, they do not share in the added income derived from higher market prices for food.

Public Housing: A Tailored Approach to Energy Retrofits

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dentz, J. [Advanced Residential Integrated Energy Solutions Collaborative, New York, NY (United States); Conlin, F. [Advanced Residential Integrated Energy Solutions Collaborative, New York, NY (United States); Podorson, D. [Advanced Residential Integrated Energy Solutions Collaborative, New York, NY (United States); Alaigh, K. [Advanced Residential Integrated Energy Solutions Collaborative, New York, NY (United States); Davis, T. [Advanced Residential Integrated Energy Solutions Collaborative, New York, NY (United States)

2016-02-18

Over one million HUD-supported public housing units provide rental housing for eligible low-income families across the country. A survey of over 100 public housing authorities (PHAs) across the country indicated that there is a high level of interest in developing low-cost solutions that improve energy efficiency and can be seamlessly included in the refurbishment process. Further, PHAs, have incentives (both internal and external) to reduce utility bills. ARIES worked with four PHAs to develop packages of energy efficiency retrofit measures the PHAs can cost-effectively implement with their own staffs in the normal course of housing operations at the time when units are refurbished between occupancies. The energy efficiency turnover protocols emphasized air infiltration reduction, duct sealing, and measures that improve equipment efficiency. ARIES documented implementation in 18 housing units. Reductions in average air leakage were 16% and duct leakage reductions averaged 23%. Total source energy consumption savings due to implemented measures was estimated at 3-10% based on BEopt modeling with a simple payback of 1.6 to 2.5 years. Implementation challenges were encountered mainly related to required operational changes and budgetary constraints. Nevertheless, simple measures can feasibly be accomplished by PHA staff at low or no cost. At typical housing unit turnover rates, these measures could impact hundreds of thousands of units per year nationally.

Public Housing: A Tailored Approach to Energy Retrofits

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dentz, J.; Conlin, F.; Podorson, D.; Alaigh, K.

2014-06-01

Over one million HUD-supported public housing units provide rental housing for eligible low-income families across the country. A survey of over 100 PHAs across the country indicated that there is a high level of interest in developing low cost solutions that improve energy efficiency and can be seamlessly included in the refurbishment process. Further, PHAs, have incentives (both internal and external) to reduce utility bills. ARIES worked with two public housing authorities (PHAs) to develop packages of energy efficiency retrofit measures the PHAs can cost effectively implement with their own staffs in the normal course of housing operations at the time when units are refurbished between occupancies. The energy efficiency turnover protocols emphasized air infiltration reduction, duct sealing and measures that improve equipment efficiency. ARIES documented implementation in ten housing units. Reductions in average air leakage were 16-20% and duct leakage reductions averaged 38%. Total source energy consumption savings was estimated at 6-10% based on BEopt modeling with a simple payback of 1.7 to 2.2 years. Implementation challenges were encountered mainly related to required operational changes and budgetary constraints. Nevertheless, simple measures can feasibly be accomplished by PHA staff at low or no cost. At typical housing unit turnover rates, these measures could impact hundreds of thousands of unit per year nationally.

Voluntary Management of Residential Water Demand in Low and Middle-Low Income Households: Case Study of Soacha (colombia)

Science.gov (United States)

Acosta, R.; Rodriguez, J. P.

2016-12-01

Water resources availability is a global concern due to increasing demands, decreasing quality and uncertain spatio-temporal variability (United Nations, 2009). In urban contexts research on efficient water use is a priority to cope with the future vulnerability of water supplies as a result of the impacts of climate change (Bates et al, 2008). Following the proposed methodologies of He and Kua (2013) for implementing programs to promote sustainable energy consumption, we focused on the use of educational strategies to promote a voluntary rationalization of residential water demand. We collaborated with three schools in Soacha (Colombia) where students ranging from 12 to 15 years participated in the project as promoters of educational campaigns inside their families, covering 120 low and middle-low income households. Three intervention or treatment strategies (i.e. e-learning, in-person active learning activities and graphical learning tools) were carried out over a period of 5 months. We analyzed the effects of the treatments strategies in reducing water consumption rates and the dependence of this variable on socio-demographic, economic, environmental, and life quality factors by using personal interviews and self reported water saving technics. The results showed that educational campaigns have a positive effect on reducing consumption in the households. Graphical learning tools accounted for the highest reduction in water consumption. Moreover, the results of the study suggests that socio-economic factors such as type of house, social level, income, and life quality variables significantly affect the variability in water consumption, which is an important fact to consider in similar cases where communities face difficult socio-economic conditions, displacement or high rates of urban growth.

Feeding practices of low-income mothers: how do they compare to current recommendations?

OpenAIRE

Power, Thomas G; Hughes, Sheryl O; Goodell, L Suzanne; Johnson, Susan L; Duran, J Andrea Jaramillo; Williams, Kimberly; Beck, Ashley D; Frankel, Leslie A

2015-01-01

Background Despite a growing consensus on the feeding practices associated with healthy eating patterns, few observational studies of maternal feeding practices with young children have been conducted, especially in low-income populations. The aim of this study was to provide such data on a low income sample to determine the degree to which observed maternal feeding practices compare with current recommendations. Methods Eighty low-income mothers and their preschool children were videotaped a...

The impact of densification by means of informal shacks in the backyards of low-cost houses on the environment and service delivery in cape town, South Africa.

Science.gov (United States)

Govender, Thashlin; Barnes, Jo M; Pieper, Clarissa H

2011-01-01

This paper investigates the state-sponsored low cost housing provided to previously disadvantaged communities in the City of Cape Town. The strain imposed on municipal services by informal densification of unofficial backyard shacks was found to create unintended public health risks. Four subsidized low-cost housing communities were selected within the City of Cape Town in this cross-sectional survey. Data was obtained from 1080 persons with a response rate of 100%. Illegal electrical connections to backyard shacks that are made of flimsy materials posed increased fire risks. A high proportion of main house owners did not pay for water but sold water to backyard dwellers. The design of state-subsidised houses and the unplanned housing in the backyard added enormous pressure on the existing municipal infrastructure and the environment. Municipal water and sewerage systems and solid waste disposal cannot cope with the increased population density and poor sanitation behaviour of the inhabitants of these settlements. The low-cost housing program in South Africa requires improved management and prudent policies to cope with the densification of state-funded low-cost housing settlements.

Autonomous houses. Autonomous house

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tanaka, S. (Tokai University, Tokyo (Japan). Faculty of Engineering)

1991-09-30

Self-sufficiency type houses are outlined. On condition that people gain a certain amount of income in relation with the society, they self-suffice under the given environment, allowing themselves to accept a minimum of industrial products with small environmental load. Ordinary supply from outside of fossil energy and materials which depend on it is minimized. Types are classified into three: energy, energy materials and perfect self-sufficiency. A study project for environment symbiotic houses is progressing which is planned by the Ministry of Construction and Institute of Building Energy Conservation and is invested by a private company. Its target is making a house for halving an environmental load by CO{sub 2}, for the purpose of creating the environment symbiotic house which is nice to and in harmony with the global environment and human beings. As a part of the studies on energy-saving and resource conservation on houses, introduced is a plan of an autonomous house at Izu-Atagawa. The passive method and high thermal-insulation are used for air conditioning, and hot spring water for hot water supply. Electric power is generated by hydroelectric power generation using mountain streams and by solar cells. Staple food is purchased, while subsidiary food is sufficed. 17 refs., 4 figs., 1 tab.

Low-Income Urban High School Students' Use of the Internet to Access Financial Aid

Science.gov (United States)

Venegas, Kristan M.

2006-01-01

This article focuses on the Web-based resources available to low-income students as they build their perceptions, make their decisions, and engage in financial aid activities. Data are gathered from the results of six focus groups with low-income high school students attending urban high schools. Findings suggest that low-income students do have…

Retrofitting of existing housing stock

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Unterrainer, Walter

2015-01-01

The paper is a case study in retrofitting an urban quarter with social housing of the 1950´s and 1960´s - a model project in Amberg/Germany. It documents and discusses applied ´acupuncture´ and innovative strategies on very different scales as well as on different layers, in order to meet the goal...... of a sustainable retrofitting project in a holistic sense: This included cultural, social, environmental and economic sustainability. The first phase of the project is built and the process included a high level of user participation. The project is an example of integral design from competition level...

Challenges of Integrating Affordable and Sustainable Housing in Malaysia

Science.gov (United States)

Syed Jamaludin, S. Z. H.; Mahayuddin, S. A.; Hamid, S. H. A.

2018-04-01

Developing countries including Malaysia have begun to comprehend the needs for affordable and sustainable housing development. The majority of the population is still aspiring for a comfortable, safe and reasonably priced house. Households in the low-middle income range face difficulties to find housing that can satisfy their needs and budget. Unfortunately, most of the housing development programs are considering affordability rather than sustainable aspects. Furthermore, developers are more interested in profit and neglect sustainability issues. Thus, the aim of this paper is to review the challenges in integrating affordable housing and sustainable practices in Malaysia. This paper is produced based on an extensive literature review as a basis to develop strategies of integrated affordable and sustainable housing in Malaysia. The challenges are divided into four sections, namely market challenges, professional challenges, societal challenges and technological challenges. The outcomes of this paper will assist in the decision making involving housing development and in enhancing quality of life for sustainable communities.

Air Quality, Energy Budget, and Offset Policy in South Africa's Low-Income Settlements

Science.gov (United States)

Hersey, S. P.; Piketh, S.; Burger, R.

2014-12-01

Urban and exurban residential populations in South Africa reside primarily in low-income settlements, including many townships remaining from Apartheid. Over 3 million free government homes have been built in the last 20 years, but the number of people living in informal settlements is the same as at the end of Apartheid in 1994 - a consequence of rapid urbanization. Despite availability of electricity to the vast majority of South Africans, ~80% of electrified homes in low-income areas also burn coal and/or wood as supplementary fuels for cooking and heating. These domestic burning activities represent 70-85% of total PM10mass during winter in South Africa's low-income settlements. Here we analyze data from observations of human-atmosphere systems in: 1) 19 ground monitoring sites in Gauteng Province (Johannesburg and Pretoria), and 2) an intensive sampling campaign in a township in Mpumalanga Province (Industrial Highveld). From ground monitoring, we quantitatively describe seasonal and diurnal trends in PM10 and PM2.5 typical in low-income settlements as compared with industrial and developed suburban areas, and demonstrate the impact of low-income settlements on regional air quality. We also explore the implications of economic development in townships (increased household income, expanded commercialization and widespread electricity usage) on local and regional air quality. Data from the intensive township sampling study provides a seasonal energy budget for domestic burning in low-income settlements and suggests that indoor and ambient air quality are independent systems requiring unique interventions. We conclude with a preview of innovative strategies being developed by industry, government, and academic stakeholders for a not-like-for-like emissions offset policy in South Africa, focused on investments directly into low-income settlements that are aimed at reducing PM exposure.

Energy performance of the low-energy house in Greenland

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kragh, Jesper; Svendsen, Svend

2005-01-01

by ventilation heat recovery (90% efficiency) specially designed for arctic conditions, by using thicker insulation in walls (300 mm) and roof/floor (350 mm), and by using solar hot water heating (3250 kWh/year). The building is intended to enhance sustainability in the building sector in Greenland....... energy gain, efficient ventilation system with heat recovery and solar heating. In this paper the results of a calculation of the energy consumption of low-energy house is presented. The calculation was done using the program BSim2002 [1] and a new weather test reference year based on climatic data......The object of the low-energy house in Sisimiut in Greenland was to build a house with an energy consumption less than 80 kWh/m² corresponding to half the energy frame of the coming building code. Therefore the focus in this project has been on large insulation thicknesses, windows with high net...

Indoor air quality in green-renovated vs. non-green low-income homes of children living in a temperate region of US (Ohio).

Science.gov (United States)

Coombs, Kanistha C; Chew, Ginger L; Schaffer, Christopher; Ryan, Patrick H; Brokamp, Cole; Grinshpun, Sergey A; Adamkiewicz, Gary; Chillrud, Steve; Hedman, Curtis; Colton, Meryl; Ross, Jamie; Reponen, Tiina

2016-06-01

Green eco-friendly housing includes approaches to reduce indoor air pollutant sources and to increase energy efficiency. Although sealing/tightening buildings can save energy and reduce the penetration of outdoor pollutants, an adverse outcome can be increased buildup of pollutants with indoor sources. The objective of this study was to determine the differences in the indoor air quality (IAQ) between green and non-green homes in low-income housing complexes. In one housing complex, apartments were renovated using green principles (n=28). Home visits were conducted immediately after the renovation, and subsequently at 6 months and at 12 months following the renovation. Of these homes, eight homes had pre-renovation home visits; this allowed pre- and post-renovation comparisons within the same homes. Parallel visits were conducted in non-green (control) apartments (n=14) in a nearby low-income housing complex. The IAQ assessments included PM2.5, black carbon, ultrafine particles, sulfur, total volatile organic compounds (VOCs), formaldehyde, and air exchange rate. Data were analyzed using linear mixed-effects models. None of the indoor pollutant concentrations were significantly different between green and non-green homes. However, we found differences when comparing the concentrations before and after renovation. Measured immediately after renovation, indoor black carbon concentrations were significantly lower averaging 682 ng/m(3) in post-renovation vs. 2364 ng/m(3) in pre-renovation home visits (p=0.01). In contrast, formaldehyde concentrations were significantly higher in post-renovated (0.03 ppm) than in pre-renovated homes (0.01 ppm) (p=0.004). Questionnaire data showed that opening of windows occurred less frequently in homes immediately post-renovation compared to pre-renovation; this factor likely affected the levels of indoor black carbon (from outdoor sources) and formaldehyde (from indoor sources) more than the renovation status itself. To reduce IAQ

Economic aspects of low labour-income farming

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Luning, H.A.

1967-01-01

Conflicting views on the relevance of economic theory, as developed in the West, to low-income peasant societies had been advanced ever since Boeke's time.

Recent literature pointed out that available economic theories did not seem to fit the behavioral motivation, assumed in economic logic. The

Cigarette smoking and food insecurity among low-income families in the United States, 2001.

Science.gov (United States)

Armour, Brian S; Pitts, M Melinda; Lee, Chung-Won

2008-01-01

To quantify the association between food insecurity and smoking among low-income families. A retrospective study using data from the 2001 Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID), a longitudinal study of a representative sample of U.S. men, women, and children and the family units in which they reside. Low-income families. Family income was linked with U.S. poverty thresholds to identify 2099 families living near or below 200% of the federal poverty level. Food insecurity (i.e., having insufficient funds to purchase enough food to maintain an active and healthy lifestyle) was calculated from the 18-core-item food security module of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Current smoking status was determined. Smoking prevalence was higher among low-income families who were food insecure compared with low-income families who were food secure (43.6% vs. 31.9%; p < .01). Multivariate analysis revealed that smoking was associated with an increase in food insecurity of approximately six percentage points (p < .01). Given our finding that families near the federal poverty level spend a large share of their income on cigarettes, perhaps it would be prudent for food-assistance and tobacco-control programs to work together to help low-income people quit smoking.

Preconception Health Behaviors of Low-Income Women.

Science.gov (United States)

Ayoola, Adejoke B; Sneller, Krista; Ebeye, Tega D; Dykstra, Megan Jongekrijg; Ellens, Victoria L; Lee, HaEun Grace; Zandee, Gail L

2016-01-01

Preconception behaviors have a significant impact on birth outcomes, particularly among low-income minority groups, and women with unplanned pregnancies. This study examined women's perceived health status and behaviors such as drinking, smoking, exercise, and use of multivitamins and folic acid. This was a descriptive study based on a convenience sample of women living in urban underserved neighborhoods. Univariate and bivariate analyses were conducted using STATA 13. The sample consisted of 123 women ages 18 to 51 years (mean = 30.57); 51.22% were Hispanic, 36.59% African American, and 12.2% Caucasian. Over 70% had a household income of less than $20,000, 57.72% had no health insurance in the last year, and 58.54% were not married. These women were below the Healthy People 2020 goals for drinking, smoking, and multivitamin use, especially those who were planning to get pregnant in the next 6 months or not sure of their pregnancy planning status. There were no significant differences on any of the preconception health behavior variables based on pregnancy intention. Nurses and healthcare providers should emphasize importance of practicing healthy behaviors during the preconception period among low-income ethnic minority women specifically those living in urban medically underserved areas who are unsure of their pregnancy planning status or are at risk of unintended pregnancy.

To be an affordable healthy house, case study Medan

Science.gov (United States)

Silitonga, Shanty

2018-03-01

House has a paramount meaning in human life. Provision of adequate housing will be able to improve the quality of life. Provision of an affordable house is a major step to fulfilling the needs of houses in the big city. Medan has built a lot of affordable houses, and mostly it takes place in the suburbs. Although the affordable house is for low-income people, it must be worthy of its physical condition, affordable in the budget and healthy for its users. House often saw only as physical alone, the provision of a house only to achieve solely in quantity regardless its quality. This study aims to examine the condition of affordable houses in the suburbs of Medan. The research method used qualitative descriptive, using indicator according to affordable healthy house standard according to the regulation in Indonesia and other related theories. This study took place in Medan by taking three areas in the suburbs of Medan. The results show that most affordable houses in the suburbs of Medan are unhealthy. There are several design recommendations for the houses to meet the affordable healthy house category; the most important is the addition of ventilation and window holes.

State and the Low Cost Housing for the Poor: Fall of Bashentek Rehabilitation Project (BRP) in Dhaka City--Bangladesh

Science.gov (United States)

Hussain, Rasel; Saha, Amit Kumar; Rabbani, Golam; Pervin, Irin; Shamma, Wasifa Tasnim; Khan, Sazzad Hossain

2015-01-01

In the era of neoliberalism now the people especially the lower income group of people is suffering a lot for the scarcity of housing. After migrating from the rural areas for a better life they discovered themselves in the slum like areas of the city as they are not capable to afford housing in the influential areas of the city due to higher…

Cost effective interventions for the prevention of cardiovascular disease in low and middle income countries: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Shroufi, Amir; Chowdhury, Rajiv; Anchala, Raghupathy; Stevens, Sarah; Blanco, Patricia; Han, Tha; Niessen, Louis; Franco, Oscar H

2013-03-28

While there is good evidence to show that behavioural and lifestyle interventions can reduce cardiovascular disease risk factors in affluent settings, less evidence exists in lower income settings.This study systematically assesses the evidence on cost-effectiveness for preventive cardiovascular interventions in low and middle-income settings. Systematic review of economic evaluations on interventions for prevention of cardiovascular disease. PubMed, Web of Knowledge, Scopus and Embase, Opensigle, the Cochrane database, Business Source Complete, the NHS Economic Evaluations Database, reference lists and email contact with experts. we included economic evaluations conducted in adults, reporting the effect of interventions to prevent cardiovascular disease in low and middle income countries as defined by the World Bank. The primary outcome was a change in cardiovascular disease occurrence including coronary heart disease, heart failure and stroke. After selection of the studies, data were extracted by two independent investigators using a previously constructed tool and quality was evaluated using Drummond's quality assessment score. From 9731 search results we found 16 studies, which presented economic outcomes for interventions to prevent cardiovascular disease in low and middle income settings, with most of these reporting positive cost effectiveness results.When the same interventions were evaluated across settings, within and between papers, the likelihood of an intervention being judged cost effective was generally lower in regions with lowest gross national income. While population based interventions were in most cases more cost effective, cost effectiveness estimates for individual pharmacological interventions were overall based upon a stronger evidence base. While more studies of cardiovascular preventive interventions are needed in low and mid income settings, the available high-level of evidence supports a wide range of interventions for the prevention

Healthy Housing Opportunities During Weatherization Work

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wilson, J.; Tohn, E.

2011-03-01

In the summer and early fall of 2010, the National Center for Healthy Housing interviewed people from a selection of state and local agencies that perform weatherizations on low-income housing in order to gauge their approach to improving the health and safety of the homes. The interviews provided a strong cross section of what work agencies can do, and how they go about funding this work when funds from the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) do not cover the full extent of the repairs. The report also makes recommendations for WAP in how to assist agencies to streamline and maximize the health and safety repairs they are able to make in the course of a standard weatherization.

Astronomy for Special Needs Children (Low-income and/or Serious Medical Conditions) and Their Families

Science.gov (United States)

Lubowich, Donald

2015-08-01

I present the results of two NASA-IDEAS/STScI* sponsored and one IAU OAD grant for astronomy outreach programs for seriously ill or traumatically injured children and their families staying at the Ronald McDonald Houses of Long Island (New Hyde Park, NY) and Chicago or for children hospitalized at the Winthrop University Hospital Children’s Medical Center, (Mineola, NY). An astronomy program was also created for the five Fresh Air Fund Charity summer camps (low-income and special needs) and for a Hofstra summer camp for developmentally challenged youths.These programs are designed for children of all ages include” STSCi’s “Tonight’s Sky” (monthly guide to the sky); telescope observations of the Moon, Sun, planets, nebulae, and stars; and hands-on activities. During cloudy weather remote/robotic telescope observations are shown to the children.The staff and volunteers at the Ronald McDonald House and Children’s Medical Center are trained to use the telescope and to do astronony demonstrations. I created an Activity Book for the staff with demonstrations, participatory hands-on activities, and edible demonstrations using chocolate, marshmallows, and popcorn are to stimulate interest.These educational activities help children and their families learn about astronomy while providing a diversion to take their minds off their illness during a stressful time. The RMHs provide free or low-cost housing in a comfortable, supportive alternative atmosphere where family members sleep, eat, relax and find support from other families in similar situations. Families are kept united when mutual support is as critical as the medical treatment itself. The ill children and their families may stay for a few days or months because of chemotherapy, dialysis, or rehabilitative therapy. Children from 50 states and 50 countries stay the Chicago RMHs and there are 260 RMHs in the US and 65 worldwide.

77 FR 25787 - Low Income Taxpayer Clinic Grant Program; Availability of 2013 Grant Application Package

Science.gov (United States)

2012-05-01

... DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Internal Revenue Service Low Income Taxpayer Clinic Grant Program... Package and Guidelines (Publication 3319) for organizations interested in applying for a Low Income... nominal fee to low income taxpayers involved in tax controversies with the IRS, or inform individuals for...

CROWDING AND SHOPPING VALUE IN LOW-INCOME RETAIL CENTERS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Izabelle Quezado

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Considering the great potential of low-income consumption, this research is based on the scales developed by Babin, Darden and Griffin (1994 and by Machleit, Kellaris and Eroglu (1994, aiming to investigate hedonic and utilitarian consumer behavior and its relation with low-income perception of crowding. A research was performed with 404 consumers in real store environment and the results showed that consumers revealed being prone to utilitarian behavior in both centers. About crowding phenomenon, the consumers felt more uncomfortable by crowding at the commercial center with less infrastructure. There were indices that this discomfort was less intense in hedonic consumers.

Tackling socioeconomic inequalities and non-communicable diseases in low-income and middle-income countries under the Sustainable Development agenda.

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Niessen, Louis W; Mohan, Diwakar; Akuoku, Jonathan K; Mirelman, Andrew J; Ahmed, Sayem; Koehlmoos, Tracey P; Trujillo, Antonio; Khan, Jahangir; Peters, David H

2018-05-19

Five Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set targets that relate to the reduction of health inequalities nationally and worldwide. These targets are poverty reduction, health and wellbeing for all, equitable education, gender equality, and reduction of inequalities within and between countries. The interaction between inequalities and health is complex: better economic and educational outcomes for households enhance health, low socioeconomic status leads to chronic ill health, and non-communicable diseases (NCDs) reduce income status of households. NCDs account for most causes of early death and disability worldwide, so it is alarming that strong scientific evidence suggests an increase in the clustering of non-communicable conditions with low socioeconomic status in low-income and middle-income countries since 2000, as previously seen in high-income settings. These conditions include tobacco use, obesity, hypertension, cancer, and diabetes. Strong evidence from 283 studies overwhelmingly supports a positive association between low-income, low socioeconomic status, or low educational status and NCDs. The associations have been differentiated by sex in only four studies. Health is a key driver in the SDGs, and reduction of health inequalities and NCDs should become key in the promotion of the overall SDG agenda. A sustained reduction of general inequalities in income status, education, and gender within and between countries would enhance worldwide equality in health. To end poverty through elimination of its causes, NCD programmes should be included in the development agenda. National programmes should mitigate social and health shocks to protect the poor from events that worsen their frail socioeconomic condition and health status. Programmes related to universal health coverage of NCDs should specifically target susceptible populations, such as elderly people, who are most at risk. Growing inequalities in access to resources for prevention and treatment need to

Barriers and facilitators to healthy eating and disease self-management among older adults residing in subsidized housing.

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Petroka, Katherine; Campbell-Bussiere, Rania; Dychtwald, Dan K; Milliron, Brandy-Joe

2017-09-01

As adults transition into older ages, meeting age-specific dietary recommendations can become increasingly challenging, especially for low-income seniors who reside in publicly subsidized rental housing. The primary objectives of this study were to: 1) identify barriers and facilitators to healthy eating and self-management of nutrition-related chronic illnesses experienced by low-income seniors residing in a subsidized housing setting; and 2) assess the interest in community nutrition programming among low-income seniors residing in a subsidized housing setting. A qualitative study design, using food focus groups and food pantry observations, was used. Participants included 24 male and female senior adults, between 65 and 75 years of age, residing in a subsidized housing community in Philadelphia, PA. This setting also included the unique features of a community garden and food pantry. Data were manually analyzed using a content analysis approach, which included familiarization, identification of themes, categorization and interpretation; and verified using NVivo 10. Personal barriers, including food cost and accessibility, physical limitations, desire for convenience, and low self-efficacy to change dietary habits, inhibited motivation to change. External barriers in the food environment, including lack of transportation and distance of markets to access fresh produce, were commonly cited; as well as negative influences of the internal environment, such as the presence of vending machines, common cultural cooking and eating practices, and the lack of social cohesion. Facilitators focused on food preparation and recipe adaptation. Participants expressed an interest in learning more about food, nutrition, and health through community-based programming.

Current Situation of Household Income as a Factor, Having Impact on Mortgage Lending in Mongolia

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Khuselchimeg Batbileg

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Amount of household income is the most important factor for housing loan. The article studies mortgage lending in Ulaanbaatar in 2007–2009, the factor, having great impact on the current economy of Mongolia, carries out the comparative analysis of capital’s medium and low income households and presents methods, which will help to solve these problems.

Breast-feeding intentions among low-income pregnant and lactating women.

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Hill, Gina Jarman; Arnett, Dennis B; Mauk, Eileen

2008-01-01

Provide a better understanding of the process used by low-income pregnant/postpartum women when deciding whether to breast-feed or not. Pregnant/postpartum women admitted to an obstetrics floor completed a survey to determine breast-feeding intention (n=88). Subjects were primarily Hispanic and African American women. Beliefs and referent other were related positively to attitude and subjective norm, respectively. Subjective norm was related positively to intention to breast-feed. Breast-feeding knowledge was low. Others' opinions clearly influence feeding intentions among this population of low-income women. Inclusion of these significant others, family, and friends within the breast-feeding education process is warranted.

Family Investments in Low-Income Children's Achievement and Socioemotional Functioning

Science.gov (United States)

Longo, Francesca; McPherran Lombardi, Caitlin; Dearing, Eric

2017-01-01

Family processes and parenting practices help explain developmental differences between children in low- versus higher-income households. There are, however, few studies addressing the question of: what are the key family processes and parenting practices for promoting low-income children's growth? We address this question in the present study,…

Internet use among low-income persons recently diagnosed with HIV infection.

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Mayben, J K; Giordano, T P

2007-10-01

Patients are increasingly using the Internet to obtain health-related information, communicate with providers and access research. Use of the Internet to obtain health-related information by low-income patients recently diagnosed with HIV infection has not been examined. In 2005, we surveyed 126 low-income patients diagnosed with HIV infection within the last three years. Eighty-five percent of the patients wereInternet to access information about HIV, 52% had never used the Internet, 28% had never used it to obtain health-related information and only 18% had done so at least monthly for the last six months. Two-thirds of the population studied would need instruction on how to use the Internet. In multivariable regression, 2004 income > or =$15,000 predicted monthly Internet use to obtain health-related information. Older age, heterosexual intercourse as HIV risk factor and inadequate health literacy were independent predictors of needing instruction. The low-income population with HIV infection lags behind the general population in Internet access and may not benefit from Internet-dependent advances in health communication, including HIV-related interventions.

Prevalence and determinants of cardiovascular disease risk factors among the residents of urban community housing projects in Malaysia.

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Amiri, Mohammadreza; Majid, Hazreen Abdul; Hairi, FarizahMohd; Thangiah, Nithiah; Bulgiba, Awang; Su, Tin Tin

2014-01-01

The objectives are to assess the prevalence and determinants of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors among the residents of Community Housing Projects in metropolitan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. By using simple random sampling, we selected and surveyed 833 households which comprised of 3,722 individuals. Out of the 2,360 adults, 50.5% participated in blood sampling and anthropometric measurement sessions. Uni and bivariate data analysis and multivariate binary logistic regression were applied to identify demographic and socioeconomic determinants of the existence of having at least one CVD risk factor. As a Result, while obesity (54.8%), hypercholesterolemia (51.5%), and hypertension (39.3%) were the most common CVD risk factors among the low-income respondents, smoking (16.3%), diabetes mellitus (7.8%) and alcohol consumption (1.4%) were the least prevalent. Finally, the results from the multivariate binary logistic model illustrated that compared to the Malays, the Indians were 41% less likely to have at least one of the CVD risk factors (OR = 0.59; 95% CI: 0.37 - 0.93). In Conclusion, the low-income individuals were at higher risk of developing CVDs. Prospective policies addressing preventive actions and increased awareness focusing on low-income communities are highly recommended and to consider age, gender, ethnic backgrounds, and occupation classes.

24 CFR 511.76 - Program income.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 3 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Program income. 511.76 Section 511... Program income. (a) General. Grantees and State recipients are neither encouraged to earn nor discouraged from earning program income in using rental rehabilitation grant amounts under this part. (b...

Modelling the potential to achieve deep carbon emission cuts in existing UK social housing: The case of Peabody

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reeves, Andrew; Taylor, Simon; Fleming, Paul

2010-01-01

As part of the UK's effort to combat climate change, deep cuts in carbon emissions will be required from existing housing over the coming decades. The viability of achieving such emission cuts for the UK social housing sector has been explored through a case study of Peabody, a housing association operating in London. Various approaches to stock refurbishment were modelled for Peabody's existing stock up to the year 2030, incorporating insulation, communal heating and micro-generation technologies. Outputs were evaluated under four future socio-economic scenarios. The results indicate that the Greater London Authority's target of a 60% carbon emission cut by 2025 can be achieved if extensive stock refurbishment is coupled with a background of wider societal efforts to reduce carbon emissions. The two key external requirements identified are a significant reduction in the carbon intensity of grid electricity and a stabilisation or reduction in householder demand for energy. A target of achieving zero net carbon emissions across Peabody stock by 2030 can only be achieved if grid electricity becomes available from entirely zero-carbon sources. These results imply that stronger action is needed from both social landlords and Government to enable deep emission cuts to be achieved in UK social housing.

Surveillance of social and geographic inequalities in housing-related issues: the case of the Eastern Townships, Quebec (Canada).

Science.gov (United States)

Roy, Mathieu; Généreux, Mélissa; Laverdière, Emélie; Vanasse, Alain

2014-05-06

Even though health inequalities are conditioned by many aspects of the environment, much of the existing research focuses on the social environment. This emphasis has the effect to neglect other environmental aspects such as its physical dimension. The physical environment, which is linked to housing conditions, may contribute to the uneven distribution of health. In this study, we examined 19 housing-related issues among a representative sample of 2,000 adults residing in a Quebec (Canada) health region characterized by a mix of rural, semi-rural, and urban areas. The distribution of these issues was examined according to socioeconomic and geographic indicators of social position. Summary measures of inequalities were assessed. Our results showed that the prevalence of nearly all housing-related issues was higher among low-income households compared to more affluent ones. Highly educated individuals showed better housing conditions, whereas different issues tended to cluster in deprived or densely populated areas. To conclude, we observed steep gradients between social class and poor housing conditions. This may explain a substantial part of health inequality on the regional scale. The surveillance of housing-related issues is therefore essential to properly inform and mobilize local stakeholders and to develop interventions that target vulnerable groups on this level.

Trends in Disparities in Low-Income Children's Health Insurance Coverage and Access to Care by Family Immigration Status.

Science.gov (United States)

Jarlenski, Marian; Baller, Julia; Borrero, Sonya; Bennett, Wendy L

2016-03-01

To examine time trends in disparities in low-income children's health insurance coverage and access to care by family immigration status. We used data from the National Survey of Children's Health in 2003 to 2011-2012, including 83,612 children aged 0 to 17 years with family incomes immigration status categories: citizen children with nonimmigrant parents; citizen children with immigrant parents; and immigrant children. We used multivariable regression analyses to obtain adjusted trends in health insurance coverage and access to care. All low-income children experienced gains in health insurance coverage and access to care from 2003 to 2011-2012, regardless of family immigration status. Relative to citizen children with nonimmigrant parents, citizen children with immigrant parents had a 5 percentage point greater increase in health insurance coverage (P = .06), a 9 percentage point greater increase in having a personal doctor or nurse (P Immigrant children had significantly lower health insurance coverage than other groups. However, the group had a 14 percentage point greater increase in having a personal doctor or nurse (P immigration status have lessened over time among children in low-income families, although large disparities still exist. Policy efforts are needed to ensure that children of immigrant parents and immigrant children are able to access health insurance and health care. Copyright © 2016 Academic Pediatric Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Assessment of Low-Income Adults' Access to Technology: Implications for Nutrition Education

Science.gov (United States)

Neuenschwander, Lauren M.; Abbott, Angela; Mobley, Amy R.

2012-01-01

Objective: The main objective of this study was to investigate access and use of technologies such as the Internet among Indiana's low-income population. The secondary objective was to determine whether access and use of computers significantly differed by age, race, and/or education level. Methods: Data were collected from low-income adult…

Effects of simplifying outreach materials for energy conservation programs that target low-income consumers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wong-Parodi, Gabrielle; Bruine de Bruin, Wändi; Canfield, Casey

2013-01-01

Critics have speculated that the limited success of energy conservation programs among low-income consumers may partly be due to recipients having insufficient literacy to understand the outreach materials. Indeed, we found outreach materials for low-income consumers to require relatively high levels of reading comprehension. We therefore improved the Flesch–Kincaid readability statistics for two outreach brochures, by using shorter words and shorter sentences to describe their content. We examined the effect of that simplification on low-income consumers′ responses. Participants from low-income communities in the greater Pittsburgh area, who varied in literacy, were randomly assigned to either original communications about energy conservation programs or our simplified versions. Our findings suggest that lowering readability statistics successfully simplified only the more straightforward brochure in our set of two, likely because its content lent itself better to simplification. Findings for this brochure showed that simplification improved understanding of its content among both low-literacy and high-literacy recipients, without adversely affecting their evaluation of the materials, or their intention to enroll in the advertised programs. We discuss strategies for improving communication materials that aim to reach out to low-income populations. - Highlights: • Brochures about energy programs for low-income consumers can be too hard to read. • We made brochures easier to read by using shorter words and shorter sentences. • Simplifying a straightforward brochure improved the understanding of all recipients. • However, simplifying a complex brochure had no effect on understanding. • We suggest strategies for improving outreach to low-income consumers

Adverse childhood experiences of low-income urban youth.

Science.gov (United States)

Wade, Roy; Shea, Judy A; Rubin, David; Wood, Joanne

2014-07-01

Current assessments of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) may not adequately encompass the breadth of adversity to which low-income urban children are exposed. The purpose of this study was to identify and characterize the range of adverse childhood experiences faced by young adults who grew up in a low-income urban area. Focus groups were conducted with young adults who grew up in low-income Philadelphia neighborhoods. Using the nominal group technique, participants generated a list of adverse childhood experiences and then identified the 5 most stressful experiences on the group list. The most stressful experiences identified by participants were grouped into a ranked list of domains and subdomains. Participants identified a range of experiences, grouped into 10 domains: family relationships, community stressors, personal victimization, economic hardship, peer relationships, discrimination, school, health, child welfare/juvenile justice, and media/technology. Included in these domains were many but not all of the experiences from the initial ACEs studies; parental divorce/separation and mental illness were absent. Additional experiences not included in the initial ACEs but endorsed by our participants included single-parent homes; exposure to violence, adult themes, and criminal behavior; personal victimization; bullying; economic hardship; and discrimination. Gathering youth perspectives on childhood adversity broadens our understanding of the experience of stress and trauma in childhood. Future work is needed to determine the significance of this broader set of adverse experiences in predisposing children to poor health outcomes as adults. Copyright © 2014 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Medicaid Coverage Expansions and Cigarette Smoking Cessation Among Low-income Adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Koma, Jonathan W; Donohue, Julie M; Barry, Colleen L; Huskamp, Haiden A; Jarlenski, Marian

2017-12-01

Expanding Medicaid coverage to low-income adults may have increased smoking cessation through improved access to evidence-based treatments. Our study sought to determine if states' decisions to expand Medicaid increased recent smoking cessation. Using pooled cross-sectional data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey for the years 2011-2015, we examined the association between state Medicaid coverage and the probability of recent smoking cessation among low-income adults without dependent children who were current or former smokers (n=36,083). We used difference-in-differences estimation to examine the effects of Medicaid coverage on smoking cessation, comparing low-income adult smokers in states with Medicaid coverage to comparable adults in states without Medicaid coverage, with ages 18-64 years to those ages 65 years and above. Analyses were conducted for the full sample and stratified by sex. Residence in a state with Medicaid coverage among low-income adult smokers ages 18-64 years was associated with an increase in recent smoking cessation of 2.1 percentage points (95% confidence interval, 0.25-3.9). In the comparison group of individuals ages 65 years and above, residence in a state with Medicaid coverage expansion was not associated with a change in recent smoking cessation (-0.1 percentage point, 95% confidence interval, -2.1 to 1.8). Similar increases in smoking cessation among those ages 18-64 years were estimated for females and males (1.9 and 2.2 percentage point, respectively). Findings are consistent with the hypothesis that Medicaid coverage expansions may have increased smoking cessation among low-income adults without dependent children via greater access to preventive health care services, including evidence-based smoking cessation services.

Malaysian Affordability Housing Policies Revisited

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Samad Diwa

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Housing has always been a significant aspiration of family expression and distinctly priciest investment by household. It plays a momentous role in the country’s economy and so central to the societal well-being that is emplaced in the United Nation Universal declaration of Human rights. Yet in developed and developing world alike, cities struggle to provide decent housing for lower and middle income population. The provision of affordable housing is a major policy concern around the world with Malaysia being no exception; rising income hardly keep pace with price hike of housing unit and housing interventions has majorly concentrated on demand side leading to a non-responsive supply sector. Therefore, this paper highlights affordable housing issues pertaining Malaysia. It formulates Malaysian Map of affordability and conducts an evaluation of global housing schemes to better identify policy priorities for Malaysia. It’s significant to harmonize supply and demand side factors in the housing market to ensure that housing supply fits the needs of citizens based on the location, price and target group. In case of Malaysia supply oriented initiative are of urgency in short and medium run. This must be supported by long term demand side schemes in parallel. Convergence of these two factors is essential for a balanced equilibrium and obtaining affordability.

Examining the implications of dental treatment costs for low-income families.

Science.gov (United States)

Snow, Patrick; McNally, Mary E

2010-01-01

Dental disease is concentrated among those with low socioeconomic status. Dental care is not publicly funded, and many Canadians must therefore make difficult financial choices when accessing dental care. Families who live in poverty have difficulty meeting even their most basic household needs, so dental treatment may not be affordable. The objective of this study was to understand how the cost of dental treatment affects the monthly budgets of families with low incomes. A chart review was conducted for a sample of 213 new patients examined at the Dalhousie University dental clinic over a 1-year period. Costs for proposed treatment plans were averaged. The patients" ability to pay for proposed treatment was examined in the context of various income scenarios. Two hundred and one patients were included in the final analysis. Dental treatment costs per patient averaged approximately $1600 for the year, with 42% of the planned treatment completed within the first year. The estimated monthly cost of completed treatment was $55. When the cost of a healthy diet was included in the monthly budget, it was determined that families in Nova Scotia with parents working for minimum wage and those receiving income assistance would experience a 100% shortfall for dental expenses. Low-income families in Nova Scotia were unable to afford both a nutritious diet and dental care. This is disturbing, given the links between a healthy diet and both overall health and dental health. An understanding of the significance of income shortfalls for those with low incomes, especially as they affect even basic nutritional needs, will help dental professionals to appreciate the seriousness of this issue and the difficulties that many Canadians face when trying to access basic dental care.

Hungry for housing: waqf real estate development - a social welfare alternative

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Mohd Ali Siti Nadiah

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Islam has outlined 4 important elements to achieve fruitful life in the duniya and the akhirah. A famed hadith of Rasulullah (peace be upon him meaning “Four things that will bring joy to a person, which is (owning a pious woman (wife, a good house (spacious, a good neighbour, and a great vehicle” (Hadith narrated by Ibnu Hibban. It is clear from this hadith that Islam emphasised ownership of a comfortable home. The polemic remains that with skyrocketing housing prices in the market, would the low and middle income groups afford housing that is safe, comfortable and secure? Realising the importance of living in a secure and safe house, this study aims at investigating the possibility of leveraging the upward trend of waqf real estate development in empowering the Muslims’ economy in the country. Towards this end, the authors have conducted a study by collating primary and secondary data obtained from the Penang State Islamic Religious Council (Majlis Agama Islam Pulau Pinang for analysis. Thus the Penang Islamic Council is the study site. Semi structured interviews were conducted with 2 waqf officials who are in charge of coordinating waqf real estate developments in Penang. Based on the study conducted, it was found that Penang State Islamic Religious Council has succeeded in enhancing value added to waqf real estate developments through the implementation of 9 housing project developments using the ijarah concept. The Penang State Islamic Religious Council has enabled the low medium income groups to stay in comfortable and safe housing by utilising such holistic and efficient waqf product developments under shariah guidelines.

Medicines coverage and community-based health insurance in low-income countries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wagner Anita K

2008-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Objectives The 2004 International Conference on Improving Use of Medicines recommended that emerging and expanding health insurances in low-income countries focus on improving access to and use of medicines. In recent years, Community-based Health Insurance (CHI schemes have multiplied, with mounting evidence of their positive effects on financial protection and resource mobilization for healthcare in poor settings. Using literature review and qualitative interviews, this paper investigates whether and how CHI expands access to medicines in low-income countries. Methods We used three complementary data collection approaches: (1 analysis of WHO National Health Accounts (NHA and available results from the World Health Survey (WHS; (2 review of peer-reviewed articles published since 2002 and documents posted online by national insurance programs and international organizations; (3 structured interviews of CHI managers about key issues related to medicines benefit packages in Lao PDR and Rwanda. Results In low-income countries, only two percent of WHS respondents with voluntary insurance belong to the lowest income quintile, suggesting very low CHI penetration among the poor. Yet according to the WHS, medicines are the largest reported component of out-of-pocket payments for healthcare in these countries (median 41.7% and this proportion is inversely associated with income quintile. Publications have mentioned over a thousand CHI schemes in 19 low-income countries, usually without in-depth description of the type, extent, or adequacy of medicines coverage. Evidence from the literature is scarce about how coverage affects medicines utilization or how schemes use cost-containment tools like co-payments and formularies. On the other hand, interviews found that medicines may represent up to 80% of CHI expenditures. Conclusion This paper highlights the paucity of evidence about medicines coverage in CHI. Given the policy commitment to expand CHI

Traditional Values and their Adaptation in Social Housing Design: Towards a New Typology and Establishment of ‘Air House’ Standard in Malaysia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohd Firrdhaus Mohd Sahabuddin

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Large migration from rural areas to urban areas like Kuala Lumpur has led to some implications for economic, social and cultural development. This high population has placed enormous demand on the existing housing stocks, especially for low-income groups.  However, some issues arise, one of which is overheated indoor air temperature. This problem contributes to the high-energy usage that forces huge sums of money to be spent on cooling the house by using mechanical equipment. Therefore, this study focuses on thermal comfort in social housing, and incorporates traditional values into its design to achieve a certain measurement of natural ventilation in a house. From the study, the carbon emission and energy consumption for an air-conditioned house is 67%, 66% higher than a naturally ventilated house. Therefore, this research has come up with a new typology design, which has a large exposed wall area and full-length openings on the opposite walls to increase cross ventilation. At the end of this research, the measurement of thermal comfort for a naturally ventilated building called ‘Air House’ has been identified.

Social marketing nutrition education for low-income population.

Science.gov (United States)

Hagues, Rachel; Stotz, Sarah; Childers, Austin; Phua, Joe; Hibbs, Judy; Murray, Deborah; Lee, Jung Sun

2018-01-01

As access to healthy food (or lack thereof) could be considered a social justice issue, social workers should be concerned about this issue and willing to collaborate with colleagues of various disciplines to address it. This study was a formative evaluation conducted to understand best practices, recommendations, and feasibility of a social-marketing-based nutrition education program tailored to the needs of adults with limited income. The authors report findings from focus groups conducted with Cooperative Extension Agents (CEAs) and region coordinators (n = 45) and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed) (n = 69) eligible participants to inform the development of a social marketing nutrition intervention for SNAP-Ed in Georgia. Barriers to healthy eating included cultural preferences, costs of healthy food, lack of time, and lack of availability. Social marketing has a potential to deliver effective and efficient SNAP-Ed targeted to large, limited-resource Georgians. Segmenting the low-income population based on geographical location as well as best methods for outreach can allow tailored messages to meet identified needs, lifestyles, and other variables that make these individuals most likely to respond to the program. Food security and nutrition education are topics of concern for all health care professionals interested in addressing complex health issues of many low-income adults.

Does task shifting yield cost savings and improve efficiency for health systems? A systematic review of evidence from low-income and middle-income countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Seidman, Gabriel; Atun, Rifat

2017-04-13

Task shifting has become an increasingly popular way to increase access to health services, especially in low-resource settings. Research has demonstrated that task shifting, including the use of community health workers (CHWs) to deliver care, can improve population health. This systematic review investigates whether task shifting in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) results in efficiency improvements by achieving cost savings. Using the PRISMA guidelines for systematic reviews, we searched PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, and the Health Economic Evaluation Database on March 22, 2016. We included any original peer-review articles that demonstrated cost impact of a task shifting program in an LMIC. We identified 794 articles, of which 34 were included in our study. We found that substantial evidence exists for achieving cost savings and efficiency improvements from task shifting activities related to tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS, and additional evidence exists for the potential to achieve cost savings from activities related to malaria, NCDs, NTDs, childhood illness, and other disease areas, especially at the primary health care and community levels. Task shifting presents a viable option for health system cost savings in LMICs. Going forward, program planners should carefully consider whether task shifting can improve population health and health systems efficiency in their countries, and researchers should investigate whether task shifting can also achieve cost savings for activities related to emerging global health priorities and health systems strengthening activities such as supply chain management or monitoring and evaluation.

Bucking the trend? Health care expenditures in low-income countries 1990-1995.

Science.gov (United States)

Jowett, M

1999-01-01

Health care expenditures in low-income countries are analysed for the years 1990 and 1995 using four key indicators. Key findings include a substantial reduction in public spending per capita across low-income countries between 1990-95; a significant shift towards private expenditures, which appears increasingly to be substituting rather than supplementing public expenditures; a fall in total and public health spending in many countries despite growth in national income, contradicting the relationship found in other studies. Two possible explanations are put forward. First that the patterns found are a direct result of the structural adjustment policies adopted by many low-income countries, which aim to control and often cut public financing, whilst promoting private health expenditures. Secondly, that following the wave of privatization of state industries, many governments are finding problems adapting to their new role as a tax collector, and are thus not benefiting from economic growth to the extent that might be expected.

Pharmaceutical quality assurance of local private distributors: a secondary analysis in 13 low-income and middle-income countries

Science.gov (United States)

Caudron, Jean Michel; Schiavetti, Benedetta; Pouget, Corinne; Tsoumanis, Achilleas; Meessen, Bruno; Ravinetto, Raffaella

2018-01-01

Introduction The rapid globalisation of the pharmaceutical production and distribution has not been supported by harmonisation of regulatory systems worldwide. Thus, the supply systems in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) remain exposed to the risk of poor-quality medicines. To contribute to estimating this risk in the private sector in LMICs, we assessed the quality assurance system of a convenient sample of local private pharmaceutical distributors. Methods This descriptive study uses secondary data derived from the audits conducted by the QUAMED group at 60 local private pharmaceutical distributors in 13 LMICs. We assessed the distributors’ compliance with good distribution practices (GDP), general quality requirements (GQR) and cold chain management (CCM), based on an evaluation tool inspired by the WHO guidelines ’Model Quality Assurance System (MQAS) for procurement agencies'. Descriptive statistics describe the compliance for the whole sample, for distributors in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) versus those in non-SSA, and for those in low-income countries (LICs) versus middle-income countries (MICs). Results Local private pharmaceutical distributors in our sample were non-compliant, very low-compliant or low-compliant for GQR (70%), GDP (60%) and CCM (41%). Only 7/60 showed good to full compliance for at least two criteria. Observed compliance varies by geographical region and by income group: maximum values are higher in non-SSA versus SSA and in MICs versus LICs, while minimum values are the same across different groups. Conclusion The poor compliance with WHO quality standards observed in our sample indicates a concrete risk that patients in LMICs are exposed to poor-quality or degraded medicines. Significant investments are needed to strengthen the regulatory supervision, including on private pharmaceutical distributors. An adapted standardised evaluation tool inspired by the WHO MQAS would be helpful for self-evaluation, audit and inspection

Breast Cancer in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: An Emerging and Challenging Epidemic

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arafat Tfayli

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Breast cancer is a major health care problem that affects more than one million women yearly. While it is traditionally thought of as a disease of the industrialized world, around 45% of breast cancer cases and 55% of breast cancer deaths occur in low and middle income countries. Managing breast cancer in low income countries poses a different set of challenges including access to screening, stage at presentation, adequacy of management and availability of therapeutic interventions. In this paper, we will review the challenges faced in the management of breast cancer in low and middle income countries.

Disability, employment and stress regarding ability to pay for housing and healthy food.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Diane L

2013-01-01

To determine if disability is a significant factor in increasing the likelihood of experiencing stress regarding the ability to pay for housing and healthy food. 24.6% (n=16206) of 65,960 adults who responded to the social context optional module of 2009-2010 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System identified themselves as having a disability. Adults with disabilities reported that they experienced significantly more stress about having money to pay for housing and healthy food than adults without disabilities. This research was a quantitative study using a publicly available dataset. A series of logistic regressions were performed to determine the extent that disability affected the likelihood of stress about having enough money for housing and healthy food. Employed persons with a disability are 1.6 times and 1.9 times as likely as persons without a disability to experience stress about not having enough money to pay for housing and healthy food, respectively. Persons not employed with a disability are 1.56 times and 1.83 times as likely to experience stress about not having enough money to pay for housing and healthy food, respectively. For persons with a disability, being female, in poor health, without a health plan and having a lower income were also significant. Education and employment were not significant predictors of experiencing stress regarding money for food or housing. Having a disability is more predictive of experiencing stress about having enough money for housing and healthy food than employment, though variables such as low income and having a health plan, dependent on employment are significant. Therefore, strategies and policy recommendations to reduce stress by increasing employment and income for persons with disabilities were presented.

Strategies for reducing inequalities and improving developmental outcomes for young children in low-income and middle-income countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Engle, Patrice L; Fernald, Lia C H; Alderman, Harold; Behrman, Jere; O'Gara, Chloe; Yousafzai, Aisha; de Mello, Meena Cabral; Hidrobo, Melissa; Ulkuer, Nurper; Ertem, Ilgi; Iltus, Selim

2011-10-08

This report is the second in a Series on early child development in low-income and middle-income countries and assesses the effectiveness of early child development interventions, such as parenting support and preschool enrolment. The evidence reviewed suggests that early child development can be improved through these interventions, with effects greater for programmes of higher quality and for the most vulnerable children. Other promising interventions for the promotion of early child development include children's educational media, interventions with children at high risk, and combining the promotion of early child development with conditional cash transfer programmes. Effective investments in early child development have the potential to reduce inequalities perpetuated by poverty, poor nutrition, and restricted learning opportunities. A simulation model of the potential long-term economic effects of increasing preschool enrolment to 25% or 50% in every low-income and middle-income country showed a benefit-to-cost ratio ranging from 6·4 to 17·6, depending on preschool enrolment rate and discount rate. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Bringing Bike Share to a Low-Income Community

Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Podcasts

This podcast is an interview with Sarah Kretman Stewart, MPH, MEd, Healthy Living Minneapolis Project Specialist at the Minneapolis Health Department. In this program, Sarah talks about the impact a bike share program had on the low-income town of Near North, Minnesota.

24 CFR 84.24 - Program income.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Program income. 84.24 Section 84.24... income. (a) HUD shall apply the standards set forth in this section in requiring recipient organizations to account for program income related to projects financed in whole or in part with Federal funds. (b...

Does the Glass Ceiling Exist?: A Cross-National Perspective on Gender Income Mobility

OpenAIRE

Ira N. Gang; John Landon-Lane; Myeong-Su Yun

2003-01-01

We compare male and female upward labor income mobility in Germany and the United States using the GSOEP-PSID Cross-National Equivalent File. Our main interest is to test whether a glass ceiling exists for women. Conventional thinking about the glass ceiling highlights the belief that the playing field is level for women and men in the labor market up to a certain point, after which there is an effective limit on advancement for women. We examine the glass ceiling hypothesis by looking at the...

Tyrannies of thrift: Governmentality and older, low-income people’s energy efficiency narratives in the Illawarra, Australia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Waitt, Gordon; Roggeveen, Kate; Gordon, Ross; Butler, Katherine; Cooper, Paul

2016-01-01

Social scientists are arguing that energy policies should pay more attention to everyday life to address energy efficiency. Scholars are now positing that energy policy needs to move beyond essentialised understandings of people positioned as the problem and seek to involve household members as part of the solution. Joining this conversation, we explore the energy narratives of low-income people aged 60 years and over, living in private sector housing. Participants shared their energy efficiency stories during focus groups conducted in the Illawarra, Australia. The paper explores how Foucault's concept of governmentality may help inform energy efficiency programs by paying close attention to the way in which individual energy choices made under certain circumstances create who an individual becomes. Learning from participants, our governmentality analysis revealed the tyrannies of thrifty domestic energy conduct. We illustrate our argument drawing on the examples of practices relating to clothing and lighting. We outline how governmentality analysis can be used by researchers, policy makers and practitioners to assist people to safely negotiate energy efficiency in their domestic lives. - Highlights: • We critically investigate domestic energy use of older low-income people. • We employ Foucault’s concept of governmentality. • Managing domestic energy use is discussed in terms of subjectivities. • The tyrannies of thrift are identified. • The implications of governmentality for energy programs are outlined.

Financing pediatric surgery in low-, and middle-income countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Hsiung, Grace; Abdullah, Fizan

2016-02-01

Congenital anomalies once considered fatal, are now surgically correctable conditions that now allow children to live a normal life. Pediatric surgery, traditionally thought of as a privilege of the rich, as being too expensive and impractical, and which has previously been overlooked and excluded in resource-poor settings, is now being reexamined as a cost-effective strategy to reduce the global burden of disease-particularly in low, and middle-income countries (LMICs). However, to date, global pediatric surgical financing suffers from an alarming paucity of data. To leverage valuable resources and prioritize pediatric surgical services, timely, accurate and detailed global health spending and financing for pediatric surgical care is needed to inform policy making, strategic health-sector budgeting and resource allocation. This discussions aims to characterize and highlight the evidence gaps that currently exist in global financing and funding flow for pediatric surgical care in LMICs. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Inc.

A review of low income energy assistance measures adopted in other jurisdictions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2008-01-01

Low-income energy assistance programs (LIEPs) have been established and implemented in many jurisdictions to help make electricity and natural gas more affordable. Low-income programs also serve many other public interest goals, such as safeguarding and protecting the public health and welfare of the citizens; augmenting incomes or standards of living for the lowest income energy customers; encouraging conservation and more efficient use of energy resources; reducing customer care costs for utilities; reducing uncollectible accounts and bad debt expense for utilities; and reducing carbon emissions and greenhouse gas levels. This report contained a summary of the policies, programs, and measures that have been implemented, mandated, or allowed by regulators in other jurisdictions to assist low-income energy consumers with electricity and natural gas costs. The report categorized the differing low income policies and programs that have been implemented and examined the effectiveness of those policies and programs as measured by the costs and benefits, as well the level of customer participation. These categories included rate discounts or waivers; modified rate designs; alternative billing methods; customer rebates; conservation and demand side management programs; budget or equal billing; payment plans for past due accounts; waivers of late payment charges; waivers or reductions of customer security deposits; limits on disconnections; and reduced or waived fees for reconnections. The report covered regulatory jurisdictions, including those in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, France, Spain, and Finland. The report also discussed the role of regulators, utilities, charitable organizations, and other interested parties in developing and implementing low-income energy assistance programs that were cost-effective and efficient. It was concluded that, in addition to rate discounts or waivers of the fixed monthly service charge, many

Racial Differences in Awareness of the Affordable Care Act and Application Assistance Among Low-Income Adults in Three Southern States

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adrian Garcia Mosqueira MA

2015-10-01

Full Text Available The Affordable Care Act (ACA expanded Medicaid eligibility to adults with incomes under 138% of the federal poverty level, leading to substantial reductions in uninsured rates among low-income adults. Despite large gains in coverage, studies suggest that Latinos may be less likely than other racial/ethnic groups to apply and enroll in health insurance, and they remain the group with the highest uninsured rate in the United States. We explore two potential factors related to racial/ethnic differences in ACA enrollment—awareness of the law and receipt of application assistance such as navigator services. Using a survey of nearly 3000 low-income U.S. citizens (aged 19-64 in 3 states in late 2014, we find that Latinos had significantly lower levels of awareness of the ACA relative to other groups, even after adjusting for demographic covariates. Higher education was the strongest positive predictor of ACA awareness. In contrast, Latinos were much more likely to receive assistance from navigators or social workers when applying, relative to other racial/ethnic groups. Taken together, these results highlight the importance of ACA outreach efforts to increase awareness among low-income and less educated populations, two groups that are overrepresented in the Latino population, to close existing disparities in coverage.

Explaining the persistence of low income and environmentally degrading land uses in the Brazilian Amazon

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rachael D. Garrett

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Tropical forests continue to be plagued by the dual sustainability challenges of deforestation and rural poverty. We seek to understand why many of the farmers living in the Brazilian Amazon, home to the world's largest tropical agricultural-forest frontier, persist in agricultural activities associated with low incomes and high environmental damage. To answer this question, we assess the factors that shape the development and distribution of agricultural activities and farmer well-being in these frontiers. Our study utilizes a uniquely comprehensive social-ecological dataset from two regions in the eastern Brazilian Amazon and employs a novel conceptual framework that highlights the interdependencies between household attributes, agricultural activities, and well-being. We find that livestock production, which yields the lowest per hectare incomes, remains the most prevalent land use in remote areas, but many examples of high income fruit, horticulture, and staple crop production exist on small properties, particularly in peri-urban areas. The transition to more profitable land uses is limited by lagging supply chain infrastructure, social preferences, and the fact that income associated with land use activities is not a primary source of perceived life quality. Instead subjective well-being is more heavily influenced by the nonmonetary attributes of a rural lifestyle (safety, tranquility, community relations, etc.. We conclude that transitions away from low-income land uses in agricultural-forest frontiers of the Brazilian Amazon need not abandon a land-focused vision of development, but will require policies and programs that identify and discriminate households based on a broader set of household assets, cultural attributes, and aspirations than are traditionally applied. At a broader scale, access to distant markets for high value crops must be improved via investments in processing, storage, and marketing infrastructure.

Evaluation of DOE's Partnership in Low-Income Residential Retrofit (PILIRR) Program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Callaway, J.W.; Lee, A.D.

1989-05-01

In July 1986, the US Department of Energy (DOE) awarded competitive grants to five states to conduct pilot projects to establish partnerships and use resource leveraging to stimulate support for low-income residential energy retrofits. The projects were conducted under DOE's Partnerships in Low-Income Residential Retrofit (PILIRR) Program. These projects have been monitored and analyzed through a concurrent process evaluation conducted by the Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL). This study reports the findings of that evaluation. The overriding goal of the PILIRR Program was to determine whether the states could stimulate support for low-income residential energy improvements from non-federal sources. The goal for the process evaluation was to conduct an assessment of the processes used by the states and the extent to which they successfully established partnerships and leveraged resources. Five states were selected to participate in the program: Florida, Iowa, Kentucky, Oklahoma and Washington. Each state proposed a different approach to promote non-federal support for low-income residential weatherization. Three of the five states--Florida, Iowa, and Washington--established partnerships that led to retrofits during the monitoring period (October 1986--October 1988). Kentucky established its partnership during the monitoring period, but did not accomplish its retrofits until after monitoring was complete. Oklahoma completed development of its marketing program and had begun marketing efforts by the end of the monitoring period. 16 refs., 7 figs., 1 tab.

Prevalence of frailty and prefrailty among community-dwelling older adults in low-income and middle-income countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Siriwardhana, Dhammika D; Hardoon, Sarah; Rait, Greta; Weerasinghe, Manuj C; Walters, Kate R

2018-03-01

To systematically review the research conducted on prevalence of frailty and prefrailty among community-dwelling older adults in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) and to estimate the pooled prevalence of frailty and prefrailty in community-dwelling older adults in LMICs. Systematic review and meta-analysis. PROSPERO registration number is CRD42016036083. MEDLINE, EMBASE, AMED, Web of Science, CINAHL and WHO Global Health Library were searched from their inception to 12 September 2017. Low-income and middle-income countries. Community-dwelling older adults aged ≥60 years. We screened 7057 citations and 56 studies were included. Forty-seven and 42 studies were included in the frailty and prefrailty meta-analysis, respectively. The majority of studies were from upper middle-income countries. One study was available from low-income countries. The prevalence of frailty varied from 3.9% (China) to 51.4% (Cuba) and prevalence of prefrailty ranged from 13.4% (Tanzania) to 71.6% (Brazil). The pooled prevalence of frailty was 17.4% (95% CI 14.4% to 20.7%, I 2 =99.2%) and prefrailty was 49.3% (95% CI 46.4% to 52.2%, I 2 =97.5%). The wide variation in prevalence rates across studies was largely explained by differences in frailty assessment method and the geographic region. These findings are for the studies with a minimum recruitment age 60, 65 and 70 years. The prevalence of frailty and prefrailty appears higher in community-dwelling older adults in upper middle-income countries compared with high-income countries, which has important implications for healthcare planning. There is limited evidence on frailty prevalence in lower middle-income and low-income countries. CRD42016036083. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Innovate the Land Supply Pattern and Stabilize the Housing

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

WANG Junjie; Chen haibo

2015-01-01

In the process of building a harmonious socialist society, the protection of people＇ s livelihood is the priority, and to solve the housing problem of over one billion residents is the top priority. The present thesis begins with the land supply mechanism, and do researches on the style, the source and the type of land supply. With the analysis of land finance, the present thesis finally put forward the measures to innovate the land supply pattern, to increase the supply of low-income housing, to reform the way of land supply and to explore the circulating pattern of normative collective construction land that comes to is on the market. Meanwhile, it combines the present house property tax reform, putting forward the idea that imposing land property tax should be a way to inhibit the behavior of speculation. The present thesis aims at keeping the housing price at a reasonable level so that the purpose of stabilizing the housing price can he achieved.

Consumption and Savings of First Time House Owners

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ejarque, João; Leth-Petersen, Søren

We characterize savings behavior around the point of the first house purchase. Using a panel data set with income and wealth information on Danish first-time house owners we document that households save for the down payment, mortgage to the limit, run down liquid assets at purchase, and adjust...... to adverse income shocks occurring just after the purchase by reducing consumption. We build a model that replicates these observations, show that the preference parameters are identified from the data, and estimate them. Based on the estimated model house buying significantly reduces the ability to smooth...

24 CFR 570.426 - Program income.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 3 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Program income. 570.426 Section 570... in Hawaii and Insular Areas Programs § 570.426 Program income. (a) The provisions of § 570.504(b) apply to all program income generated by a specific grant and received prior to grant closeout. (b) If...

Low-cost housing design and provision: A case study of Kenya

Science.gov (United States)

Kabo, Felichism W.

Shelter is as basic a human need as food and water. Today, many people in Third World countries live in sub-standard housing, or lack shelter altogether. Prior research addresses either one of two housing dimensions: broader provision processes, or specific aspects of design. This dissertation is an effort at addressing both dimensions, the underlying premise being that their inter-connectedness demands an integrative approach. More specifically, this dissertation is a combined strategy case study of housing design and provision in Kenya, a sub-Saharan African country with serious shelter problems. A majority of Kenya's urban population lives in slums or squatter settlements. This dissertation covers four major areas of housing design and provision in Kenya: building materials, user preferences for building materials and housing designs, interior layouts, and the organizational context of the housing sector. These four areas are theoretically unified by Canter's (1977) model of place. Each of the first three areas (housing design) relates to one or more of the three domains in the model. The fourth area (housing provision) pertains to the model's context and framework. The technical building materials research reveals the feasibility of making low-cost materials (soil-cements) with satisfactory engineering performance. The research in preference for building materials reveals that the two independent variables, soil and mix, have a significant effect on potential users' ratings. The housing preference study reveals that of the four independent variables, design and type had a significant effect on potential users' ratings, while materials and construction method did not have a significant effect. The interior layout studies reveal important associations between spatial configurations and a key space (the kitchen), and between configuration and conceptualizations of living, cooking, and sleeping spaces. The findings from the studies of preferences and interior

Playing Linear Numerical Board Games Promotes Low-Income Children's Numerical Development

Science.gov (United States)

Siegler, Robert S.; Ramani, Geetha B.

2008-01-01

The numerical knowledge of children from low-income backgrounds trails behind that of peers from middle-income backgrounds even before the children enter school. This gap may reflect differing prior experience with informal numerical activities, such as numerical board games. Experiment 1 indicated that the numerical magnitude knowledge of…

Parenting perceptions of low-income mothers.

Science.gov (United States)

Webb, Jenny; Morris, Melanie Hall; Thomas, Sandra P; Combs-Orme, Terri

2015-01-01

The purpose of this descriptive qualitative study was to gain understanding of perceptions of low-income pregnant women and mothers about parenting. Participants were 65 low-income, primarily African American, women in their 20s and 30s who were recruited from a faith-based social service center in Memphis, Tennessee. Interviews were conducted by nursing, social work, and psychology students. The existential phenomenological method was used to analyze verbatim responses of participants to vignettes depicting parenting behaviors of hypothetical mothers. Five global themes were identified: (a) Focus on baby's development: "Because I'm the Mother, I'm the First Teacher"; (b) Focus on baby's safety/security: "The Baby Could Be Hurt"; (c) Focus on conveying love: "She Just Wants the Baby to Feel Her Love"; (d) Focus on learning the rules of good childcare: "It's Important to Know the Do's and Don'ts"; and (e) Focus on doing it differently (better) than parents did: "When You Know Better, You Do Better." Findings suggest that these mothers care deeply about providing a better life for their children than the life they have had. They desire to learn about being the best parents they can be. As nurses, we can help to provide educational opportunities for mothers through a variety of evidence-based interventions delivered across the childbearing years.

Mental health in low- and middle-income countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Patel, Vikram

2007-01-01

Mental disorders in low- and middle-income countries (LAMIC) do not attract global health policy attention. This article is based on a selective review of research on mental disorders in adults in LAMIC since 2001 and recent analyses of disease burden in developing countries. Mental disorders account for 11.1% of the total burden of disease in LAMIC. Unipolar depressive disorder is the single leading neuropsychiatric cause of disease burden. Alcohol use disorders account for nearly 4% of the attributable disease burden in LAMIC. Mental disorders are closely associated with other public health concerns such as maternal and child health and HIV/AIDS. Poverty, low education, social exclusion, gender disadvantage, conflict and disasters are the major social determinants of mental disorders. Clinical trials demonstrate that locally available, affordable interventions in community and primary care settings are effective for the management of mental disorders. Mental health resources are very scarce and investment in mental health is < 1% of the health budget in many countries. The majority of people with mental disorders do not receive evidence-based care, leading to chronicity, suffering and increased costs of care. Strengthening care and services for people with mental disorders is a priority; this will need additional investment in human resources and piggy backing on existing public health programmes. Campaigns to increase mental health literacy are needed at all levels of the health system.

Socioeconomic inequalities in risk factors for non communicable diseases in low-income and middle-income countries: results from the World Health Survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Hosseinpoor, Ahmad Reza; Bergen, Nicole; Kunst, Anton; Harper, Sam; Guthold, Regina; Rekve, Dag; d'Espaignet, Edouard Tursan; Naidoo, Nirmala; Chatterji, Somnath

2012-10-28

Monitoring inequalities in non communicable disease risk factor prevalence can help to inform and target effective interventions. The prevalence of current daily smoking, low fruit and vegetable consumption, physical inactivity, and heavy episodic alcohol drinking were quantified and compared across wealth and education levels in low- and middle-income country groups. This study included self-reported data from 232,056 adult participants in 48 countries, derived from the 2002-2004 World Health Survey. Data were stratified by sex and low- or middle-income country status. The main outcome measurements were risk factor prevalence rates reported by wealth quintile and five levels of educational attainment. Socioeconomic inequalities were measured using the slope index of inequality, reflecting differences in prevalence rates, and the relative index of inequality, reflecting the prevalence ratio between the two extremes of wealth or education accounting for the entire distribution. Data were adjusted for confounding factors: sex, age, marital status, area of residence, and country of residence. Smoking and low fruit and vegetable consumption were significantly higher among lower socioeconomic groups. The highest wealth-related absolute inequality was seen in smoking among men of low- income country group (slope index of inequality 23.0 percentage points; 95% confidence interval 19.6, 26.4). The slope index of inequality for low fruit and vegetable consumption across the entire distribution of education was around 8 percentage points in both sexes and both country income groups. Physical inactivity was less prevalent in populations of low socioeconomic status, especially in low-income countries (relative index of inequality: (men) 0.46, 95% confidence interval 0.33, 0.64; (women) 0.52, 95% confidence interval 0.42, 0.65). Mixed patterns were found for heavy drinking. Disaggregated analysis of the prevalence of non-communicable disease risk factors demonstrated different

Empirical Analysis on The Existence of The Phillips Curve

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shaari Mohd Shahidan

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The Phillips curve shows the trade-off relationship between the inflation and unemployment rates. A rise in inflation due to the high economic growth, more jobs are available and therefore unemployment will fall. However, the existence of the Phillips curve in high-income countries has not been much discussed. Countries with high income should have low unemployment rate, suggesting a high inflation. However, some high-income countries, the United States in 1970s for example, could not avert stagflation whereby high unemployment rate and inflation occurred in the same time. This situation is contrary to the Phillips curve. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the existence of the Phillips curve in high-income countries for the period 1990-2014 using the panel data analysis. The most interesting finding of this study is the existence of a bidirectional relationship between unemployment rate and inflation rate in both long and short runs. Therefore, the governments should choose to stabilize inflation rate or reduce unemployment rate

Hospital payment systems based on diagnosis-related groups: experiences in low- and middle-income countries

Science.gov (United States)

Wittenbecher, Friedrich

2013-01-01

Abstract Objective This paper provides a comprehensive overview of hospital payment systems based on diagnosis-related groups (DRGs) in low- and middle-income countries. It also explores design and implementation issues and the related challenges countries face. Methods A literature research for papers on DRG-based payment systems in low- and middle-income countries was conducted in English, French and Spanish through Pubmed, the Pan American Health Organization’s Regional Library of Medicine and Google. Findings Twelve low- and middle-income countries have DRG-based payment systems and another 17 are in the piloting or exploratory stage. Countries have chosen from a wide range of imported and self-developed DRG models and most have adapted such models to their specific contexts. All countries have set expenditure ceilings. In general, systems were piloted before being implemented. The need to meet certain requirements in terms of coding standardization, data availability and information technology made implementation difficult. Private sector providers have not been fully integrated, but most countries have managed to delink hospital financing from public finance budgeting. Conclusion Although more evidence on the impact of DRG-based payment systems is needed, our findings suggest that (i) the greater portion of health-care financing should be public rather than private; (ii) it is advisable to pilot systems first and to establish expenditure ceilings; (iii) countries that import an existing variant of a DRG-based system should be mindful of the need for adaptation; and (iv) countries should promote the cooperation of providers for appropriate data generation and claims management. PMID:24115798

Critical Components of a Summer Enrichment Program for Urban Low-Income Gifted Students

Science.gov (United States)

Kaul, Corina R.; Johnsen, Susan K.; Witte, Mary M.; Saxon, Terrill F.

2015-01-01

Effective program models are needed for low-income youth. This article describes one successful summer enrichment program, University for Young People's Project Promise, and outlines three key components of a Partnership for Promoting Potential in Low-Income Gifted Students (Partnership Model), which is based on Lee, Olszewski-Kubilius, and…

Neurodevelopmental Disorders in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

Science.gov (United States)

Newton, Charles R.

2012-01-01

In "Global Perspective on Early Diagnosis and Intervention for Children with Developmental Delays and Disabilities" (p1079-1084, this issue), Scherzer et al. highlighted the potential increase in neurodevelopmental impairments and disabilities affecting an increasing number of children in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). In this…

Altering existing buildings in the UK

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roberts, Simon

2008-01-01