2013 State of Healthy Housing
The State of Healthy Housing is an NCHH report assessing the health of housing using 20 key factors from the 54 communities sampled by the American Housing Survey (AHS). Local communities could create their own assessment of housing quality using similar housing quality characteristics, such as interior and exterior leaks, signs of pests, and other factors collected by local public health and code enforcement agencies. [url; NCHH]

Healthy Homes Assessment Tools
The CDC provides an array of tools to assess the health and well-being of residents in a home, including guidelines and checklists developed by local, state, and federal agencies to address issues such as asthma, injury prevention, and property maintenance practices. [url; CDC]


Healthy Housing Inspection Manual
This is a model reference tool outlining elements of a holistic home inspection for environmental health, public health, housing and other professionals. It provides assessment recommendations, including visual assessment and definitions for housing deficiencies; a voluntary health assessment; and links to information about environmental sampling methods, hazards, and issues related to healthy housing. Download the Healthy Housing Inspection Manual. [url, pdf; CDC, 2008]

Healthy Housing Reference Manual
This manual was developed by HUD and HHS to provide background on healthy housing criteria and a full range of information on what is needed to create healthy housing: It addresses disease vectors and pests’ impact on housing, indoor air pollutants, water management systems, structural guidance for insulation and environmental barriers, and much to assess and monitor housing quality. [url, pdf; CDC, 2012]

Housing Adequacy and Quality as Measured by the AHS
This evaluation of housing quality data and the housing adequacy measure employed in the American Housing Survey (AHS) identifies key components included in the ZADEQ variable, which summarizes housing quality; and summarizes housing quality information available from the AHS, which could be used to understand housing adequacy. [pdf; HUD, 2013]

American Housing Survey (AHS): A Measure of (Poor) Housing Quality
This publication offers an alternative measure of housing quality. Rather measuring housing “adequacy,” as commonly determined by the AHS, the authors developed a Poor Quality Index (PQI) using all of the AHS information on housing deficiencies, which measures the level of physical deficiencies in sampled housing units. The broader range of deficiencies found in the PQI provides a more concrete assessment of quality between surveys. [url, pdf; HUD, 2013]

HUD Housing-Related Health and Safety Hazard Assessment
HUD provides an overview of home inspection and assessment methods by highlighting specific tools and laying the foundation for various interventions. The assessment utilizes three approaches to identify health and safety hazards: interviews with residents about health and housing concerns; visual assessment; and, as necessary, collecting environmental samples and testing building performance. [pdf; HUD]

HUD Physical Inspection Protocols
This resource summarizes the protocols, goals, and requirements for the physical property inspections of public housing conducted through the Real Estate Assessment Center (REAC) and outlines what the inspection covers and how scoring is calculated. [url; HUD]

HUD Uniform Physical Condition Standards (UPCS) Inspection Guide
This handbook for assessing the physical condition of HUD-funded housing, including PHA properties, has an assessment system of physical inspection protocols and definitions of deficiencies. [url; HUD]

  • Uniform Physical Condition Standard – Voucher (UPCS-V)
    UPCS-V (“V” signifies “voucher”) is a new inspection protocol under development by HUD to improve tenant safety and enhance oversight of the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program. It will replace the significantly outdated Housing Quality Standard (HQS) currently in use and allow HUD to have a consistent inspection process across all of its housing assistance programs. UPCS-V will introduce new assessment measures to increase the consistency and objectivity of the inspection process. A demonstration period for the new protocol was scheduled to begin in 2016. [url; HUD]

Integrated Pest Management: Conducting Urban Rodent Surveys
This document provides basic information about integrated pest management (IPM), methodology for conducting an assessment of urban rodent infestation, and comprehensive information for public health and housing professionals to implement IPM as a systems approach in the management of pests and vectors. [pdf; CDC, 2006]

Success with Energy Codes
Success with Energy Codes is a series of guides targeted to builders and code officials to promote better building. Materials are designed to teach project team members how to implement the proper installation of all components of a given building and suggest recommended practices to optimize energy savings based on specific regions of the country. Note: The site is still under construction. The national guidelines are complete, but some state and regional information was missing as of first quarter 2017. [url; Success with Energy Codes]