Based on recent health survey and census data collected by BHA residents and management, residents living in Boston public housing: (1) are poor - $11,250 median annual income per household; (2) are often children - 38% of BHA’s population are children and; (3) have a high level of indoor environment related health problems.  Based on recent energy survey data collected by BHA management and outside energy consultants, BHA’s residents live in an old housing stock with:  (1) high utility costs - $25 million per year (2) significant deferred maintenance costs – somewhere between $600 million and $1 billion and; (3) often poor indoor environment conditions.

From a public health perspective BHA’s residents are a high priority albeit difficult population to serve living in an indoor environment that may contribution to poor resident health.  From an energy consultant’s perspective, BHA’s developments are inefficient and full of energy and water savings opportunities that might solve some of the existing poor indoor environment conditions.  Would potential energy and water saving investments, however, create a new set of unforeseen resident health problems?

In response to this potential crisis BHA has established clear priorities for health and energy investments and has generated a sense of urgency around a 5-year health initiative and a 10-year energy initiatives.  Preliminary results indicate that BHA will need to integrate the proposed energy and health initiatives in order to maximize long-term indoor environment conditions for their residents.