Our Stand (60) —
Poor housing conditions can include features like overcrowding, dampness, mouldy walls, excessive stress effects, poor or no domestic facilities, e.t.c. As they affect the mental and health state of inhabitants, they can also result to societal chaos and social intolerance – heightened by increased criminal activities and violence.
Living in damp, moldy rooms can lead to depression, anxiety and mental instability as residents of such may be reluctant to bring guest into their homes. It further creates an inferiority it can be very debilitating. Persons who think themselves as inferior to others have a higher risk of developing chronic depression. It makes them feel insecure, sad and lonely.
Homelessness and living in poorly constructed buildings is one of the causes of negative behavioral problems amongst individuals. Substandard houses affect multiple areas of our health – mental.
There are evidences already witnessed in the society that, in part that poor housing conditions contribute to increasing exposure to biological, chemical and physical hazards, which directly affect physiological processes. Concerns about these substandard housing and fear of homelessness are psycho-social stressors that can lead to mental health problems.
Stress can also be caused by poor housing conditions, known for undermining roles in health, making some parts of the body to be unwell. Excessive noise most common with poorly, overcrowded housing environments can cause sleep deprivation that results to psychological stress. It can have long term adverse effects on health.
Beyond the condition of the housing unit itself, areas where some homes are situated can be a determinant to health. Areas that constitute improper waste disposal can harbor pests, which can also infest homes.
Effects of low level environments on health include increased rates of intentional injury, gonorrhea, tuberculosis, poor health state of newborns, depression and physical inactivity.
Several features of these environments may contribute to poor health in-take like lack of good fresh air. Air quality may be poor because of their proximity to sources of vehicle exhaust emissions such as major roads, bus depots and trucking routes.
It is possible to create good environmental designs that will promote health by putting into consideration basic amenities like good drainage system, sidewalk, the presence of green spaces and recreational sites, proximity to schools, markets, offices, shopping malls, all with very close distance of the homes.
