A Mixed-Methods Assessment of Residential Housing Tenants' Concerns about Property Habitability and the Implementation of Habitability Laws in Southern Nevada.

Housing is a key health determinant. Habitability laws set minimum standards for adequate housing. However, accessing them to ensure adequate housing may be a challenge for many tenants. This paper explores the need for rental housing policy that would better support adequate and safe housing, particularly for low-income renters. A mixed-methods approach assessed residential tenant habitability concerns in Clark County, Nevada, through calls relayed to the Clark County Landlord-Tenant Hotline (CCLTH). Of the 2865 calls, 74.3% were from ZIP codes that were 80% of the median income and below. There was a significant relationship between the ZIP code-level income and the reporting of at least one essential habitability concern. Of the 266 participants that responded to a follow-up call, 34.6% reported that their complaint was resolved and there was no association between resolution and income. Qualitative data analysis from phone interviews revealed two central themes: (1) resources to navigate landlord-tenant laws are limiting and (2) housing policies need to be strengthened to help tenants and keep people housed. Understanding tenant concerns regarding substandard housing and related inequities can help inform rental housing policy and its implementation to promote healthy homes and improve health outcomes for communities burdened by poor rental housing conditions.

The conditions for women's autonomy: Statistical data for Valle del Cauca.

In this article, we describe the data set on theconditions for women's autonomy in the municipalities of Cali, Buenaventura, Yumbo, and Jamundí (Colombia). The database was developed by the Observatoriopara la Equidad de las Mujeres (OEM), an entity resulting from an alliancebetween Universidad Icesi and Fundación WWB Colombia. The OEM's purpose is toconstruct measurements that make it possible to account for women's autonomy,based on three main dimensions: physical autonomy (associated with aspects ofpersonal and family life), economic and financial autonomy (the type of work,income, decision-making with respect to these aspects, entrepreneurship orbusiness units, among others), and leadership and public participation(electoral practices, type of participation, relation to institutions, etc.),while fundamentally, considering women's capacity to make decisions onthese  aspects, based on both theirperception and their actions. As well as helping to overcome the limitations ofexisting information, this primary data collection is aimed at generatingvalid, reliable and high-quality inputs to formulate local and national publicpolicies to improve the living conditions of women in Colombia's Pacificregion. The survey, designed and applied by the OEM, was first implemented inOctober and November 2018 through multi-stage probability sampling. The samplesize was 1,507 women in the four mentioned municipalities.

Where I live: A qualitative analysis of renters living in poor housing.

This article examines the lived experiences of 17 renters residing in Clark County, Nevada. Using a phenomenological study design, we used semistructured interviews to investigate how renters navigate living in substandard housing. The qualitative analysis revealed four main themes: (a) housing serves as a mediator with one's sense of well-being and good health, (b) housing insecurity and displacement occur through various pathways, (c) housing quality can lead to a sense of powerlessness over where one lives, and (d) social networks are key in low-opportunity neighborhoods. The findings support numerous studies that connect housing quality and insecurity to health and well-being, but the findings also highlight the mediating factors to limited housing choices such as the landlord and tenant relationship. Studies of this nature are essential in identifying the various pathways by which housing inequities and disparities can occur, particularly among low-income communities.

Health Hazards in the Home: An Assessment of a Southern Nevada Community.

As a sub-grantee of a Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes Program, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas' Department of Environmental and Occupational Health performed lead and Healthy Homes investigations and collected data regarding conditions in the home environment in Henderson, Nevada. The purpose of this research is to characterize housing conditions in southern Nevada, compare data to census data, and to highlight the health outcomes associated with adverse housing conditions. Visual home assessments were conducted in 106 homes in southern Nevada, and specific hazards were characterized using the Healthy Homes Rating System. The results were then compared, when possible, to American Housing Survey (AHS) data for the Las Vegas metropolitan area. Lead, domestic hygiene, carbon monoxide, damp and mold, excess cold and heat, and structural collapse were the most frequently identified hazards, found in at least 101 (90%) of participant households. Median household income of program participants was half (50%) that of the surrounding zip code, which was expected, as classification as "low-income" by HUD standards was a requirement for participation. Our data indicated that the AHS data may not be representative of very low income housing in southern Nevada and may underreport actual conditions. In-home inspections performed by trained personnel provide a more accurate picture of conditions than the self-report method used by the AHS. In addition, we recommend the development of a standardized Healthy Homes visual assessment tool to allow for the comparison of housing conditions between communities.