Episode 15: The Doctor is In
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“What are the ways in which we could become a system where we think about prescribing healthier houses?”
The chronically homeless population are not the only ones who suffer from a lack of affordable housing. This episode examines a community of people who have to choose between rent and food; families who end up moving so frequently their children get sick, and the adults end up physically aging by 10 years, shortening their life span and increasing their risk of a medical emergency.
Dr. Megan Sandel, the Associate Director of the GROW clinic at Boston Medical Center, a Principal Investigator with Children’s Health Watch, and an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Boston University Schools of Medicine and Public Health, says the lack of affordable housing is a public health issue, and it’s up to community leaders and society at large to treat it with the same seriousness as employment, healthcare and education.
With her deep level of expertise in both health and housing, Dr. Sandel breaks down what it means for a home to be healthy, the impact healthy homes can have on society, and how investing in affordable housing can help a company’s bottom line.
For more insight on health and housing, you can follow Dr. Sandel @megansandel on Twitter.
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