1. Module 1 Understand Housing Code Basics
Healthy Homes Assessment for Community Health Workers
11/17/2018
Module 1 Understand Housing Code Basics
T2_HHCHW_MOD1_CODES_Mar2017

2. Understand Housing Code Basics
Healthy Homes Assessment for Community Health Workers
11/17/2018
Understand Housing Code Basics
Identify 3 types of codes used to enforce remediation of housing-related hazards.
This is an animated slide. Click to reveal each objective. Briefly discuss each.
Define and compare the IPMC and NHHS.
Assess your local code inspection program and practices.
T2_HHCHW_MOD1_CODES_Mar2017

3. Healthy Homes Assessment for Community Health Workers
11/17/2018
Housing Code Basics
Find the self-assessment form in your binder.
Identify the 2 guiding principles of housing codes.
List 3 types of codes related to healthy housing.
Define and briefly explain the difference between the IPMC and the NHHS.
INTRODUCE ACTIVITY
Re-direct students to the self-assessment form in their binder. (They should have just been looking at it as a wrap-up to the Intro module.)
Remind them that this is not a test; it is for their own benefit only.
Tell them that, working alone, they should first identify what they believe to be the two guiding principles of housing codes.
Then, they should try to list 3 types of codes related the healthy housing.
Next they should give the full names for the IMPC and the NHHS, and briefly describe the difference. Remind them that this was just covered in the review.
Explain that you’ll review the answers at the end of the module.
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4. Healthy Homes Assessment for Community Health Workers
11/17/2018
A Code For Everything…
NOTE: Use this slide to introduce the topic of codes. Mostly, you’re just trying to get them thinking in terms of codes.
VERY BRIEFLY DISCUSS:
What codes are you familiar with? Which ones do you use most often within your organization?
Which do you find the most/least helpful and why?
…and Everything
Up to Code!
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5. Healthy Homes Assessment for Community Health Workers
11/17/2018
But Why?
“Why?
Because we like you!”
This is an animated slide. It originally displays with just the question.
Give students time to react. There may be some nervous laughter at first, but then students should begin to understand the connection between the question and the image.
ASK:
“But why do we have codes related to housing?”
Hopefully, the image will help students make the connection and mention that codes were designed to ensure occupant safety.
DISCUSS, using the following points to guide the conversation:
Historically, codes were developed or strengthened in response to to some event that caused injury or death.
The image on this slide depicts the great Chicago Fire of 1871, which resulted in rewritten and strengthened fire and building codes.
The Triangle Shirt waist Factory fire of 1911 was a tragedy that lead to the creation of the American Society of Safety Engineers.
Traditionally, the purpose for all codes has been Public Health, Safety and Life. Energy Efficiency is now included as well.
Click to reveal the quote, and EXPLAIN:
“If any of you are old enough to remember, this quote comes from the Mickey Mouse Club, circa But that’s basically what it all comes down to. Research has shown us that when codes are adhered to, lives are saved.”
T2_HHCHW_MOD1_CODES_Mar2017

6. Codes Related to Healthy Homes
Healthy Homes Assessment for Community Health Workers
11/17/2018
Codes Related to Healthy Homes
Zoning: What kinds of building can go into a community
This is an animated slide. It originally displays with only the title.
DISCUSS:
“So, we now know why we have codes. But before we starting talking about codes in any detail, you need understand that there are actually three different types of codes that impact residential structures.”
CLICK to reveal each type of code, discussing as you go along. Stress that it’s important for students to understand the distinction between the three.
Building: How buildings must be built or rebuilt
Housing: How buildings must be maintained
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7. Healthy Homes Assessment for Community Health Workers
11/17/2018
DISCUSS:
“Now let’s focus directly on housing codes. What types of things did you think a housing code should code cover?”
Write their responses on a flip chart. Refer to the following slide for Talking Points to guide the conversation.
Distribute the local code if available. (This may be provided by Healthy Housing Solutions, or you may have to do a little research to find the local code on your own.) Give students a few minutes to review the code.
ASK:
“Are all of you familiar with this local code?
“How similar is this code to the list we created? For example, does the local code cover everything on our list? Does it cover anything we did not list?”
What Should a
Housing Code Cover?
T2_HHCHW_MOD1_CODES_Mar2017

8. Healthy Homes Assessment for Community Health Workers
11/17/2018
Model Housing Codes
Code
Focus
International Building Code
Building construction
International Residential Code
Residential construction
International Existing Building Code
Maintenance/renovation
ICC Electrical Code
Electrical
Int’l Fire Code and National Fire Protection Association
Fire
International Mechanical Code
Ventilation
International Plumbing Code
Plumbing
International Sewage Disposal Code
Sewage
International Property Maintenance Code
All existing buildings
EXPLAIN:
“Take a look the list of things we just said a housing code should cover, and then compare it to this table of actual housing codes.
“The first thing to catch your attention, may be that there is not one federally mandated set of housing codes in the United States. There are actually several such codes, some of which deal with specific issues we just mentioned—for example, the International Plumbing Code– and some of which are more general.
That last item on the list should look familiar to you by now, the International Property Maintenance Code. It’s the only set of codes that covers all existing buildings.”
T2_HHCHW_MOD1_CODES_Mar2017

9. Healthy Homes Assessment for Community Health Workers
11/17/2018
IPMC and NHHS
What purpose do they serve?
This is an animated slide. It originally displays with only the covers of the National Healthy Housing Standard and the International Property Maintenance Code.
Remind students that they were introduced to the IPMC and the NHHS in the Basic Principles of Healthy Homes.
Click to reveal the first question. Pause a moment, then click to reveal the second question.
Discuss:
How familiar are the participants with either of these? Give them time to share their thoughts and experiences.
You’re not looking for specific answers here, you just want them to remember the key points from BPHH:
The IPMC is a model code that regulates the minimum maintenance requirements for existing buildings. It is widely adopted or in use throughout much of the United States and parts of Canada.
The NHHS is NOT a set of codes. Instead, it acts as a complement to the IPMC and is used to fill the gap where no policy currently exists.
Facts about the IPMC that were covered in BPHH include:
Adopted by more than 600 communities
In use or adopted by 36 states and the the District of Columbia
Adopted for statewide administration in 4 states: New York, Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia
Recommend as a model for locals codes in Georgia, Oklahoma, and several other states
Applicable to existing buildings, rental and owner-occupied homes
Enforced by Code Officials
Facts about the NHSS that were covered in BPHH include:
Reconnects housing and public health sectors
Provides evidence-based standard of care
Helps fill gaps where no policy exists
Bridges the health and building code communities
Acts as a complement to the IPMC and related policies
What are their similarities and differences?
T2_HHCHW_MOD1_CODES_Mar2017

10. What is the Main Purpose of…
Healthy Homes Assessment for Community Health Workers
11/17/2018
What is the Main Purpose of…
Housing Codes
HEALTH
This is an animated slide. It originally displays with only the question.
DISCUSS:
“Quick recap. Who can tell me what the main purpose of housing codes is?
Allow students to share their thoughts. Students may give complicated or detailed answers, but guide them towards identifying the two “guiding principles” of codes.   
Click once to reveal the word “health,” and give students a few seconds to absorb this. Then click again to reveal “and safety.”
EXPLAIN:
“Health and safety are considered the guiding principles of housing codes. Unfortunately not all homes are healthy and safe. And hence Healthy Housing professionals, such as yourselves, and building codes.”
and
SAFETY
T2_HHCHW_MOD1_CODES_Mar2017

11. Healthy Homes Assessment for Community Health Workers
11/17/2018
Unhealthy Housing
Interior Problems
Exterior problems
Radon, 6%
Water leaks, 10%
Structural problems, 17%
Lead-based paint, 25%
Faulty smoke alarm, 25%
Center for Disease Control
Foundation problems, 5.4%
Broken windows, 4.2%
Problems with roof
Missing material, 3.6%
Missing wall material, 2.5%
Sagging roof, 1.5%
Hole in roof, 1.5%
Sloping walls, 1.2%
Boarded up windows, 1.0%
American Housing Survey
This is an animated slide. It originally displays with only the title.
EXPLAIN:
“Ongoing research from the Center for Disease Control and the American Housing Survey tell us that despite the existence of housing codes, health-related housing problems are still widespread.
Click to reveal statistics related to problems found inside the home. Discuss briefly.
Click to reveal statistics related to problems found outside the home. Discuss briefly.
NOTE: It is not important that students memorize any numbers. They just need to understand the prevalence of health-related problems, especially inside the home.
T2_HHCHW_MOD1_CODES_Mar2017

12. Code Violations in Your Area
Healthy Homes Assessment for Community Health Workers
11/17/2018
Code Violations in Your Area
Use Exercise 1 at back of Module 1 section of binder.
List what you believe to be the top 5 code violations in your area.
Work individually, then in small group, then in larger group, then with entire class.
Discuss.
If the local AHS data is available, students can see how it matches up with the top 5-10 code violations (next exercise). Have a copy of the most current AHS for students to look through on a break; you don’t have to provide a copy to each student. They will have the information if they want to visit the website and print it out for themselves.
Briefly discuss the American Housing Survey.
The survey:
Has been conducted every two years since the 1980s
Is conducted periodically for 46 Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSA)
Surveys a consistent set of homes
Has been conducted as a phone survey since 1997
The Census bureau collects AHS data for all large metro areas. So if the code inspectors are in a large jurisdiction for which local AHS data is available (e.g. the NY City metropolitan area), they can compare the prevalence of housing problems between their jurisdiction and nationally. However, if the inspectors are in a less densely populated area they can only look at national data.
The take away message here is that some healthy homes problems are simply more common than others.
NOTE: Instructor is responsible for collecting information for the top 5 code violations in the city where training is taking place, if available. She/he can also ask the host organization for the information.
IF POSSIBLE, given class size and time constraints:
Direct students to “Exercise 1: Top Code Violations.” Have them complete section A on their own.
Split the class into groups of 3 to 5, depending on the size of the group. Have each group share and discuss their individual lists, and then work towards consensus on a new list of what the group as a whole believes to be the top five code violations in their area.
Have pairs of groups join together, so you now have half the number of groups, and each group is twice as big. These new larger groups must then agree on a new set of top five violations from their combined lists.
Bring the whole class back together, and have a representative from each group share its list, compiling a master list for the whole class to see.
If this is not possible due to class size or time constraints, have a large group discussion on the topic.
DISCUSS:
Were there a few obvious answers?
Was there quick consensus, or were there some disagreements?
Depending on the nature of the code violation, the occupant or owner may be responsible. If you are called due to an issue on the outside of the home, is the code inspector able to perform an interior inspection? If not, would the top 5 violations be the same because of your accessibility to the interior of the home?
Use what you know about the local code violations to guide the discussion. If the local AHS data is available, the students can see how it matches up with the top 5-10 code violations identified in this exercise.
T2_HHCHW_MOD1_CODES_Mar2017

13. What are Your Local Procedures?
Healthy Homes Assessment for Community Health Workers
11/17/2018
What are Your Local Procedures?
Complaint-driven vs. routine inspections
Single issue vs. holistic approach
This is an animated slide. It originally displays with only the title.
NOTE: There is a good possibility that students will not know if the inspection process is complaint-driven or routine. It is ESSENTIAL that the trainer have that information on hand in case the students don’t know.
Use this as an opportunity for students to share ideas, concerns, and best practices related to the inspection process in their area.
ASK:
“Do you know what usually drives the inspection process in your organization? What gets the inspection ball rolling?”
”What are the advantages and disadvantages of a complaint-driver vs. routine inspection?”
Allow students to share their thoughts, then click to reveal the first bullet point.
DISCUSS:
How often is an inspection in response to a complaint? Who makes the complaint, and who do they contact?
How often is it a routine inspection? What’s the process there?
“Is the focus always the same for every inspection? Is the scope of the inspection always the same?”
Allow students to share their thoughts, then click to reveal the second bullet point.
Local code violations - are they issue driven or holistic in nature? Can an inspector look at more than the issue they are called for?
If an inspector is called due to an issue on the outside of the home, is he or she able to perform an interior inspection?
If not, would the top 5 violations be the same because of the inspector’s accessibility to the interior of the home?
How often is an inspector called to inspect a single or specific issue?
How often is an inspector called to inspect an entire house, residence, or building?
Notice the use of the term “holistic” here. Earlier we talked about taking a holistic approach in how we THINK about hazards, as a way of understanding the interrelationships between them. But here we’re talking about how inspectors ACT during a code inspection, when they are looking at the house as a whole.
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14. Code Enforcement Process for the City of ________
Healthy Homes Assessment for Community Health Workers
11/17/2018
Code Enforcement Process for the City of ________
T2_HHCHW_MOD1_CODES_Mar2017

15. Healthy Homes Assessment for Community Health Workers
11/17/2018
Landlord-Tenant Laws
Rights and Responsibilities
Common Requirements
DISCUSS:
“One last thing before we wrap up this lesson: Landlord-tenant laws!”
These are also an important part of regulating healthy homes, since rental property is generally in worse condition than resident-owned homes. Most states mandate that the lease require the landlord comply with the housing code.
Certificate of Occupancy
Duty to Pay Rent
Withholding Rent to Make Repairs
Retaliation
Eviction and Enforcement
T2_HHCHW_MOD1_CODES_Mar2017

16. Healthy Homes Assessment for Community Health Workers
11/17/2018
…identify the two guiding principles of housing codes?
This is an animated slide. It originally displays with only the question, which relates directly to the ”Well, What Do You Know?” self-assessment questions at the beginning of this module.
Ask if any students got it right at the beginning of the lesson. If so, have them share. If not, invite anyone in the class to share.
Click to reveal the answers.
Health
Safety
T2_HHCHW_MOD1_CODES_Mar2017

17. Healthy Homes Assessment for Community Health Workers
11/17/2018
…name three types of codes related to healthy housing?
This is an animated slide. It originally displays with only the question, which relates directly to the ”Well, What Do You Know?” self-assessment questions at the beginning of this module.
Ask if any students got it right at the beginning of the lesson. If so, have them share. If not, invite anyone in the class to share.
Click to reveal the answers.
Zoning
Building
Housing
T2_HHCHW_MOD1_CODES_Mar2017

18. Healthy Homes Assessment for Community Health Workers
11/17/2018
…briefly describe the difference between the IPMC and the NHHS?
International Property Maintenance Code: A model code that regulates the minimum maintenance requirements for existing buildings
National Healthy Housing Standard: A complement to the IPMC, used to fill the gap where no policy currently exists
This is an animated slide. It originally displays with only the question, which relates directly to the ”Well, What Do You Know?” self-assessment questions at the beginning of this module.
Ask if any students got it right at the beginning of the lesson. If so, have them share. If not, invite anyone in the class to share.
Click to reveal the answers.
T2_HHCHW_MOD1_CODES_Mar2017