New housing project aims to keep kids out of hospital

Public Health South, Aukaha and Habitat for Humanity Dunedin have recently launched a new joint initiative to reduce the number of children being admitted to hospital with housing-related respiratory illnesses, by supporting families to make their homes warmer and drier.

Public Health South’s Medical Officer of Health Dr Susan Jack says that Kia Haumaru Te Kāika (‘a safe and secure home’) builds on the success of the Healthy Homes Initiatives (HHIs) across New Zealand.

“Too many Kiwi children are repeatedly hospitalised because of avoidable housing-related health problems. We know that simple interventions, combined with education, can help whānau stay healthy, and make homes more comfortable” says Dr Jack.

Families with children under 15 years of age admitted to Dunedin Hospital overnight with bronchiolitis, a respiratory infection, or another housing-related condition will be eligible for the initiative.

“With winter now well and truly underway and the recent influx of RSV infections, this initiative is launching just in time” says Dr Jack. “Similar initiatives in other areas have shown that investing in making families’ homes warm and dry doesn’t just reduce children’s hospital admissions, it improves life for the whole whānau”.

Eligible families can have their home inspected by one of Habitat’s Home Performance Assessors to see what support they need – prioritising simple, effective measures to make a home warm and dry such as draft-stoppers, hygrometers, and window insulation film.

Public Health South, Aukaha and Habitat for Humanity Dunedin have received funding for the first 50 families’ homes from the Healthcare Otago Charitable Trust for the initiative.

Referrals for Kia Haumaru Te Kāika opened at the start of July. A similar project is due to launch in Invercargill soon.

John Thomson, Home Performance Assessor from Habitat from Humanity Dunedin with some of the assistance that can be provided shown in the background.