5006 Underwood Ave | 402-934-9700 | www.omahahealthykids.org

For references visit www.omahahealthykids.org

2013 OHKA CASE FOR SUPPORT

C A S E F O R S U P P O R T

CONTENTS

02 WHO WE ARE

04 UNHEALTHY HOMES

06 LEAD

10 ASTHMA

14 IN THE HOME

20 OUR WORK

567children in Omaha had high lead levels in 2012

8.7% of school-age children in Omaha currently have asthma

20.9% of children with asthma in Omaha missedthree or more school days in the past year due to their asthma

1

WHO WE ARE Omaha Healthy Kids Alliance is a nonprofit organization that works to create a safe and healthy environment for

all families in Omaha. Our main goal is to bring awareness and education to families in the city about

environmental hazards, green and healthy homes, and lead poisoning. We believe that education is

fundamental for empowering people and creating change.

The betterment of all communities in Omaha is what moves our daily work. We strive to create environmental

equality in Omaha for all by offering education on health hazards in the home, tenant legal rights, environmental

testing, and information on the community resources available in the city. Through our services, we intend to

empower people and give them voice, knowledge, and power to strive for change in their own homes and

communities.

WHY HEALTHY HOMESWe believe that a healthy home contributes not only to the health of the family, but to the health of the entire

community. A healthy home means fewer school days missed due to asthma attacks, or fewer lead-poisoned kids

placed in special education. It also means reduced costs for special education, emergency room visits, utility bills

and overall health care.

WHO WE ARE

3

UNHEALTHY HOMES

UNHEALTHY HOMESPoor people, children, racial minorities, the elderly,

and disabled people are at a higher risk of living

in substandard housing where they are greatly

exposed to lead, pests, air pollutants,

contaminants, and social risks

70%

With people spending an average of

70% of their time inside their homes,

poor air quality, humidity, structural problems,

and exposure to contaminants inside

put families at a greater risk ofdeveloping illnesses

5

• Learning Disabilities

• Lowered IQ

• Mental Retardation

• Attention Deficit Disorder

• Behavioral Problems

• Dental Cavities

• Hyperactivity

• Developmental Delays

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A CHILD IS LEAD-POISONED?

LEAD

WHAT IS LEAD? Lead is a heavy metal which is highly toxic for humans. It is a neurotoxin and does not play any healthy role in our

bodies.

The main source of lead is substandard housing. Old paint that is peeling and chipping creates lead dust. Lead

dust is heavy, so it settles quickly and is difficult to clean. Younger children are usually exposed to lead through

hand to mouth activities. Lead dust is often on floors, window sills, and toys, so it is more accessible to small

children.

African American children

are 5x more likely to be

lead poisoned than

Caucasian children

THE LIKELIHOOD OF BEING LEAD POISONED

• Autism-like Symptoms

• Asperger-like Symptoms

• Sensory Integration Disorder

• Hearing Loss

• Impulsivity

• Stunted Neuron Growth

• Altered Brain Plasticity

Poor children are 8x

more likely to be

poisoned than upper

income children

AfricanAmericanchildren

Caucasianchildren

Upper incomechildren

Poorchildren

Lead poisoning is the #1 environmental hazard to children7

Blood lead concentrations between 1 and 10 µg/dL result in an average of a 7.4 IQ points lost.

A lowered IQ in children increases the need for enrollment in special education services, reduces the likelihood

of high school and college graduation, lowers lifetime earnings, and greatly increases propensity to engage in

violent criminal activity.

CHILDREN POISONED BY LEAD ARE:

LEAD COSTS During a 6 year period, the cost for lead poisoning is the sum of the costs for medical treatment ($11-$53 million),

lost earnings ($165-$233 billion), tax revenue ($25-$35 billion), special education ($30-$146 million), lead-linked

ADHD cases ($267 million), and criminal activity ($1.7 billion), for a total of $192-$270 billion.

The net benefit of lead paint hazard control ranges from $181 to $269 billion, resulting in a return of $17-$221 for each dollar invested in lead hazard control.

LEAD COSTS In 2012, Omaha spent $126,477 to treat lead-poisoned children.

If we focus on preventing lead poisoning rather than on treating poisoned kids, for every dollar spent on

controlling lead hazards, $17-$221 would be returned in health benefits, increased IQ, higher lifetime earnings,

tax revenue, reduced spending on special education, and reduced criminal activity.

$1 in lead

hazard control

$17 to $221 in return

Lead poisoned children

No leadin blood

Lead poisoned children

No leadin blood

7x more likely to

drop out of school

6x more likely to be

involved in the

criminal justice system

457 children had blood lead levels between 5-9.5 µg/dL

62 had blood lead levels between 9.5-14 µg/dL

50 between 15-25 µg/dL

7 between 25-45 µg/dL

HOW MANY CHILDREN IN OMAHA?

During 2012 in Omaha, 567 children had lead levels over 5

98

ASTHMA

ASTHMA

1 in 7 children have life time asthma

1 in 3 children with asthma are poor

90% of children with asthma can attribute their asthma attacks to items found in the home

14 million absences from school are because of asthma

ABSENT

11

OMAHA CAN’T BREATHE8.7% of school-age children in Omaha currently have asthma

Asthma prevalence in Omaha is particularly high in:

• African American children (25.9%)

• Northeast Omaha (19.4%)

AMONG CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS WITH ASTHMA:

12.2% had 3 or more urgent/emergency care visits in the

past year due to asthma

11.8% had 2 overnight hospitalizations due to asthma

16.7% do not have an asthma action plan in place

In Omaha, a total of 20.9% of children with asthma missed

3 or more school days in the past year due to their asthma

34.6% of parents with asthmatic children missed at least

1 day of work in the past year because of the child’s asthma

ASTHMA COSTSThe annual cost of asthma is approximately

56 billion dollars

Asthma has a direct health care cost of $3,259 per person per year. The overall expenditure in asthma related cases in Omaha was $14,284,197 during 2012 .

$56,000,000,000

Without Asthma With Asthma

Without Asthma

Without Asthma

With Asthma

With Asthma

Without Asthma With Asthma

A child with asthma spends 50 cents more for

every $1 that a child without asthma spends in health care

A child with asthma spends 4 times more on

medicine than a child without asthma

An emergency visit costs 40% more when a child

has asthma

$0.50

$0.50

$0.50

$0.50

$0.50

12.2%

11.8%

16.7%

20.9%

34.6%

1312

INDOOR AIR QUALITYRadon is the second leading cause of lung

cancer

8 million homes have radon levels above the

EPA’s recommended action level of 4.0pCi/L

21,000 cases of lung cancer annually are due to

radon exposure in non-smokers with a cost of

$1.1 million per person

Installing a radon mitigation system ranges from

$750 to $2,850 dollars per house

Carbon monoxide is the leading cause of

accidental deaths in the country

Carbon monoxide deaths cost the U.S. $500 million a year

Carbon monoxide kills nearly 500 people a year

and sends 15,000 to the emergency room

3,400 people with lung cancer die

annually due to

exposure to

secondhand smoke

The average cost of

secondhand smoke is

$10 billion

46,000 people die annually from heart

disease due to second-

hand smoke exposure

Secondhand smoke expo-

sure costs $5 billion a

year in direct medical costs

and $5 billion a year

in indirect costsIN THE HOME

15

RADON IN OMAHAOmaha is a red zone for radon. The natural composition of the soil in Nebraska makes our community more

vulnerable to radon exposure.

Radon can enter the home through cracks and exposed soil in basements.

Douglas County is among the 8 counties in Nebraska where levels of radon between 86 to 204pCi/L were found.

In Douglas County, between 6,561 to 10,332 houses were tested for radon prior to 2011. Testing is increasing,

but still many more homes need to be tested.

CARBON MONOXIDE IN NEBRASKANebraska is the state with the highest mortality rate from carbon monoxide

In 2011, the Nebraska Poison Control Center received

268 calls related to carbon monoxide

In 2012, Omaha Healthy Kids Alliance visited 350 homes; only around 25% of the houses had a carbon monoxide detector

INJURYFalls are the leading cause of non-fatal injuries for all children ages 0 to 19

Every day, approximately 8,000 children are treated

in U.S. emergency rooms for fall-related injuries. This

adds up to almost 2.8 million children each year

In Omaha, unintentional injury is the leading cause of death of children and adolescents

 

In Omaha, a total of 15.1% of children were

seriously injured enough to require treatment at

some point in the past year. Among these children,

22.6% were seriously injured more than once

Homes visited

Other households’energy cost

Low incomefamilies’

energy cost

Average of houses tested for radon

Total housingunits

Homes with a carbon

monoxide detector

Unintentional injuries have a total societal cost of

$217 billion

$3.5%

$14%

=Unintentional injuries Societal cost

ENERGY EFFICIENCYLow income families usually spend 14% of their total income on energy cost; other households only pay 3.5%.

When energy efficiency upgrades are done correctly it can improve ventilation, reduce moisture and condensation,

increase safety, improve comfort, and improve the general and respiratory health of occupants in homes.

Correct energy retrofit upgrades result in fewer missed days from school and work and fewer visits to the doctor’s office.

1716

OVERALL COSTIf we take only the numbers we have so far, and make a rough estimation of how much unhealthy homes cost us:

HOW AN UNHEALTHY HOUSE AFFECTS EDUCATION

$30 million

An unhealthy home means more lead poisoned

children and more children with asthma. These two

diseases are responsible for learning disabilities, special education placement, and missed school days.

Lead causes learning disabilities, attention deficit

disorder, lowered IQ, behavioral problems,

hyperactivity, ADHD, hearing loss and impulsivity.

Blood lead concentrations of 1 to 10 µg per deciliter

cause a 7.4 loss in IQ points.

Lead levels below 10 µg/dL affect the reading

readiness of children at kindergarten entry.

Lower children’s IQ: • Increases the need for enrollment in

special education services

• Reduces the likelihood of high school

and college graduation

• Lowers lifetime earnings

• Greatly increases their propensity to

engage in violent criminal activity

Children poisoned by lead are seven times more likely to drop out of school and six times more likely to be involved in the criminal justice system

The cost of special education related to lead

poisoning ranges from $30 to $146 million dollars

The cost of ADHD cases related to lead poisoning is

around $267 million dollars

Asthma causes 14 million absences from school

every year

A total of 8.7% of school-age children in Omaha

currently have asthma

A total of 20.9% of children with asthma missed three

or more school days in the past year due to their

asthma

$146 million

$38.5 billion (Lead Poisoning)

$56 billion (Asthma)

$23.1 billion (Radon)

$217 billion (Unintentional Home Injuries)

$10 billion (Secondhand Smoke)

$0.5 billion (Carbon Monoxide Deaths)

= $345.1 billion dollars a year

1918

Healthy Home AssessmentsUsing our assessment tools, our trained Healthy

Home Specialists are able to triage potential health

hazards in the home

Community-ide EducationWe provide education about lead poisoning and

green and healthy home issues. Our program “The

Lead Detectives” helps teach children how to look for

lead hazards in their own home. We also conduct

outreach in homes, clinics and schools for all

communities in Omaha

TrainingWe are a certified training firm for the EPA RRP

(Renovation, Repair and Painting). Training is also

provided on Healthy Homes to community groups

and organizations

OUR WORK

Healthy Housing for EveryoneWe advocate for housing standards that protect

children and families in Omaha. These standards

ensure that homes are safe, affordable, healthy and

energy efficient

Keeping Kids SafeOur work ensures that children are kept safe from

environmental hazards. We work to keep children

safe from issues like mold, asthma triggers like dust,

lead hazards and toxins that can significantly impact a

child’s development, education and overall health

Hazard RemediationFor qualifying homes, we are often able to provide

assistance to help fix issues in the home, or we can

refer to one of our community partners for help

21

Deprived and highly medicated, Divad struggled daily at school. Although Maria took Divad to various therapists and physicians, it was Divad’s older sister that got the family referred to Omaha Healthy Kids Alliance.

Divad’s older sister was seventeen years old and also suffered from asthma. Maria took her daughter to OneWorld Community Health Centers because she was constantly crying and wouldn’t tell Maria why. “I thought she was depressed, suicidal,” said Maria. When Maria’s daughter spoke to the staff at One World, she revealed that she didn’t want to move because she would miss her friends. Maria explained the situation to One World, who suggested that Omaha Healthy Kids Alliance conduct a healthy home assessment to be sure that it was the house that was making Divad sick.

When Shannon and Ariana, both Healthy Home Specialists with Omaha Healthy Kids Alliance first entered Maria’s home, they were shocked by the state of decay. “There were holes in the floor, and some weak spots where I thought we would just fall straight through,” said Shannon. “The walls were buckling, there was a smell—it was overwhelming. The house was simply unlivable.” Ariana and Shannon knew immediately that the house had a bad water intrusion problem. The conditions of all the walls exposed high humidity in the house and most probably mold behind the walls. Ariana explained to Maria that mold is an asthma trigger and that she should move out of the house, because unless the entire house has mold remediation work done, Divad’s asthma would not disappear. Ariana explained to Maria her rights as a tenant, and gave her a landlord/tenant manual, created by Legal Aid of Nebraska, in Spanish, so she could know the steps to take in order to talk to her landlord.

“When we first met her, we could tell that she was incredibly stressed. Now that they’re out of that house, she’s so much more relaxed and confident” Ariana said. Smiling, Maria said, “Now I know I am not powerless. Once they told me I could fight for my family, a huge weight lifted off my shoulders.” Maria continues, “They showed me the way out and gave me the language to tell my landlord why I was leaving that terrible house.”

Today, Divad rarely takes medication and only uses his inhaler when he needs it, which is also rare. He has stopped visiting the ER and missing school. In fact, all of Maria’s children are much healthier now.

FROM THE FIELD... “They showed me the way out”

Maria had rented the house for five years with her husband, Cesar, and their three children. The oldest child, a seventeen-year old girl, had suffered from asthma her entire life. The youngest, a four-year old boy, was just beginning to develop asthma when Omaha Healthy Kids Alliance representatives visited the home. But their middle child, a seven-year old named Divad, was struggling for his life.

Maria knew that the house was making Divad sick. Divad’s persistent cough, trouble breathing, and asthma attacks were most noticeable when in their home. Whenever she took him to the doctor’s office, he did not cough. But inside the crumbling house, he coughed so hard that his face went red and the veins of his neck stood out.

Eventually one of the doctors suggested taking Divad out of the house and seeing how his health fared. The family made a trip to Kansas to visit Maria’s sister, and, in spite of the cats in the house, Divad had no trouble breathing in his aunt’s home. It was then that Maria decided they must try to leave the house.

The landlords did not provide a Spanish translation of the lease, and used the Spanish-English language barrier to trap Maria’s family into the home for five years.

Over their five-year residency, Maria had appealed to the owners, asking them to make repairs. Problems like pieces of dry wall falling into the seventeen year old daughter’s room, an unstable foundation, and rotten floorboards were enough reason to vacate the deteriorating home. None of the windows opened; the whole home should have been condemned. Even though Maria cleaned the carpets and walls daily, the condition of the house was so poor that a leaky roof, buckling walls, and a moldy ceiling were only a small indicator of the massive water intrusion inside the home. And no matter how much she cleaned, the mold growing behind walls and on ceilings was killing Divad.

One of the owners made repairs to the leaking roof, but did not provide new insulation and left Maria’s family with a growing mold problem. Other owners had a different way of dealing with Maria’s pleas. “We would ask them to replace the carpet, and they promised us new carpet in a month,” an OHKA staff member translates. Maria sits up straight in her new kitchen, and a gleam of anger enters her eyes. “Then a month later, there would be a note that we had a new owner.”

In the mean time, Divad’s asthma was worsening. He was not only missing weeks at a time of school days, but Maria was starting to have problems with school personnel, doctors and therapists. They all started to suggest to her that Divad was not that sick but that he was pretending to be sick, and that she was allowing him to continue with the farce. Divad was taking approximately twelve pills a day, a nebulizer every night and allergy shots every week. He was rushed to the emergency room from 3 to 4 nights a week because he could not breathe.

22

THE COST

It costs us 150 dollars to help one family

150 dollars that allows us to give education to the families, do environmental testing in the home, and help with paint stabilization

150 dollars that creates healthy families and healthier homes

150 dollars preventing the expenditure of thousands of dollars in asthma related emergency health care costs

150 dollars that keeps one more child out of special education because he or she is not lead poisoned

150 dollars that creates better, healthier and more equitable communities

$25 Provides a carbon monoxide detector to a family

$75 Provides a child with mattress covers, pillow protectors and furnace filters

$150 Covers the cost for one Green and Healthy Home Assessment

$250 Provides a lead risk assessment for one home

$750 Paints the interior of one house

$1500 What OHKA currently spends to make a house 30% healthier, safer and more energy efficient

WAYS EVERYONE CAN GET INVOLVEDDonate through our IndieGogo campaigns to help specific families

Donate directly to us through our website (www.omahahealthykids.org)

Volunteer with us and help us fix houses for families in Omaha

Donate supplies and materials to make homes healthier

Partner with us to help create a greener, safer, healthier Omaha

24 25