Indicator HH.4.a Health and building code violations for housing and habitability per 1,000 population
Data Source
Data on: 1) 2008 Residential health code violations from the San Francisco Department of Public Health, Environmental Health Section, 2) 2008 Housing code violations from the San Francisco Department of Building Inspection, 3) 2007 population data from: Applied Geographic Solutions, Inc. Spring 2007 Update: Current Year Estimates. Methodology available at: http://www.appliedgeographic.com/library.html.
Maps and tables prepared by City and County of San Francisco, Department of Public Health, Environmental Health Section using Geolytic software.
Map data is presented at the level of the census tract, which was calculated by assigning census block data to census tracts based on spatial location. The map also includes planning neighborhood names, in the vicinity of their corresponding census tracts.
Table data is presented by planning neighborhood. While planning neighborhoods are larger geographic areas than census tracts, census tracts do not always lie completely within a planning neighborhood. SFDPH used ArcGIS software and a 'centroids within' methodology to convert census blocks to geographic mean center points. We then assigned census blocks to planning neighborhoods based on the spatial location of those geographic mean center points and calculated the planning neighborhood totals for the table.
Detailed information regarding census data, geographic units of analysis, their definitions, and their boundaries can be found in the HDMT at the following links:
http://www.thehdmt.org/etc/Geographic_Units_of_Analysis.September_2009.pdf
http://www.thehdmt.org/data_map_methods.php
Explanation and Limitations
The map of code violations for housing and habitability includes the proportion of residential health and housing code violations per 1,000 population at the census tract level. The map of code violations for housing safety and habitability provides supplemental information on the exact location of violations and the type of violation. The table displays the total residential health and housing code violations reported to the City in 2008, as well as the proportion of violations per 1,000 population, aggregated for each Planning District.
Health code violations include an array of issues such as accumulation of filth, unsanitary building conditions, and unsanitary food storage. Health code violations are reported to the Environmental Health Section of the Department of Public Health. Housing code violations are reported to the Department of Building Inspection and include an array of housing safety issues including fire, security and plumbing or electrical code violations. Both Departments have inspectors who respond to housing health and safety complaints and work with property owners, tenants, and other government agencies to correct any identified violations to the San Francisco Health and Housing code. Both San Francisco and California Civil Codes have requirements for housing health and safety.
Property owners are required to provide: Buildings free of lead hazard and mold; safe sources of heating systems; effective weatherproofing of windows, exterior walls, and roofs; housing free of garbage, waste rats, vermin, and bedbugs; plumbing and gas facilities in good order; hot and cold running water; adequate electrical plugs and phone jacks; and, well-maintained stairs floors, and common areas. For more information on code enforcement visit: http://www.sfdph.org/dph/EH/codeEnforce/default.asp#.
The National Center for Healthy Housing makes the case that “green” building programs offer a significant opportunity to achieve public health benefits and have the potential to transform the housing market toward healthier building. In an effort to decrease residents’ exposure to harmful effects from housing conditions, NCHH recommends the following “healthy homes principles” to be used in new construction and substantial rehabilitation of existing housing units:
- Dry
- Clean
- Ventilated
- Safe
- Contaminant-Free
- Pest-Free
- Maintained
In addition to these principles, given the extensive literature illustrating the impacts of noise on health, SFDPH has added one additional principle:
- Quiet
For more information, visit the National Center for Healthy Housing: http://www.practitionerresources.org/cache/documents/668/66851.pdf
Why is this a Community Health Indicator?
Housing infrastructure and proper maintenance are important to protect the health and safety of residents in their homes. Unsafe housing and habitability conditions that affect health often exist in older and poorly maintained housing. Many houses have inadequate heating or ventilation, which can lead to the growth of mold, and dust mites, leading to asthma and respiratory allergies.a Many houses also have lead-based paint that can cause lead poisoning, particularly in children. Other conditions include exposed heating sources and unprotected windows. The health impacts of these physical hazards in a home can be related to housing affordability. City of San Francisco environmental health inspectors have found that many tenants are reluctant to complain to landlords about physically unsafe conditions because they fear they will be evicted, and will be unable to find other affordable housing in San Francisco.
For additional information on the connections between housing and health, visit: The Case for Housing Impacts Assessment by SFDPH, Program on Health Equity and Sustainability. Accessed online on October 19, 2006: http://www.thehdmt.org/etc/004_HIAR-May2004.pdf
- Institute of Medicine. Clearing the Air: Asthma and Indoor Air Exposures. National Academy Press. Washington D.C. 2000.