"What You Don't Know Could Kill You":

How to make your home safe in Baltimore City was the topic of a Community conference held by the Institute for Urban Research and the School of Community Health and Policy at Morgan State University on Saturday, November 22, 2008.  This workshop which attracted representatives from private, public and nonprofit agencies in Baltimore and beyond was to dialog on a wide range of home environmental safety issues in Baltimore City.  

Agency representatives from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) - Office of Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard Control), Maryland Pesticide network, Baltimore City Health Department, Baltimore City Fire Department, Sheet Metal National Training Fund as well as the Coalition to end Child Lead Poisoning participated in the discussions.  Presenters shared information relating to fire hazards and prevention, lead hazard, mold, pesticide management as well as other chemical contaminants such as nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide. 

The workshop also covered a number of other legal and policy issue relating to these environmental hazards and how affected individuals and communities can obtain needed help. With many urban communities facing aging and deteriorated housing structures, safety of residents becomes a major public health concern.  According to the U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development - Healthy Homes Program, “environmental hazards in homes harm millions of children each year.” 

HUD’s healthy homes program was launched in 1999 by congress to protect children and their families from housing related health and safety hazards.  Morgan’s conference afforded community representatives and other stakeholders an opportunity to come together to interact on issues of concerns and build coalitions around healthy homes movement.