Healthy Homes on the Agenda (March)

More Otago families are healthier thanks to continued investment by the Otago Community Trust into a home insulation initiative.

The Community Trust has approved a $45,000 donation towards the Dunedin City Healthy Homes project for this coming year.   It’s a substantial donation, one that goes a long way towards improving energy efficiency and insulation in some of Dunedin’s older houses.

“Unfortunately, cold and damp homes are a reality for too many Otago residents, but this project will significantly improve the living conditions and health of some of Otago’s low income households,” EnergySmart Funding Manager Liz Doyle said.

EnergySmart assesses and retrofits each home with insulation, draught proofing, moisture barrier and hot water cylinder wraps. 

“The aim is to make these homes warmer, drier and healthier, as well as helping to reduce energy costs. People living in homes that are well insulated show a reduction in time of work, visits to GPs and hospital admissions, and significantly enhance their quality of life”.

The Dunedin City Healthy Homes project began in 2007 and has focused on providing families in Dunedin with a cost effective way of accessing insulation products and energy efficiency services. All homes must be within the Otago region and must be built prior to 1 January 2000. The Trust has in previous years supported a similar initiative through the Otago Regional Council.

Of the 806 homes retrofitted to date, at least 700 have been Community Services Card (CSC) holders who would have otherwise been unlikely to invest in these improvements.