Keep the Home Dry

By maintaining the roof, gutters, drainage, and interior sources of moisture, most homes can be kept dry.

•Excess moisture in homes creates conditions that can affect health including an increase of asthma symptoms and upper respiratory tract infections.

•Moisture in the home comes from inside sources (cooking, bathing, breathing, and washing) and outside sources (rain, groundwater, plumbing leaks, damp crawlspaces).

•Excess moisture in the home should be prevented through good construction and plumbing systems, temperature control, ventilation and home maintenance.

•Excess moisture and leaks in the home may lead to mold growth, pest infestations, and poor indoor air quality.

•Make sure windows and siding stay in good repair and are covered with intact paint.

•Keep gutters and downspouts clear and intact and make sure that rainwater drains away from the structure at the foundation.

What is Housing?

Every family and individual has a basic right to a decent home and a suitable living environment. Housing is a basic prerequisite for health. This right is noted in the constitutions of many countries, including Ethiopia. Housing is a term that we use for a physical structure in which we live.

Just stop reading for a moment and ask yourself: what is housing?

You may say housing is a shelter where we sleep and live, or a place in which we cook our food, or a place where a child grows, or a place where we get clean water for drinking.

You will probably have a long list like this. The question is, then, how will you provide a complete understanding of housing so that members of your community understand you?