Bad housing, a disease that “is transmitted” and “breathed”

Winter is coming, with its freezing temperatures, gloomy days and thousands of people who will suffer the brunt of the cold, in their unsanitary housing. To raise awareness of their plight, the Abbé Pierre foundation is launching its Winter 2015 campaign on the theme of poor housing.

Because poor housing “is transmitted” and “breathed”. Posters distributed throughout France will remind us of this observation. A television spot, “Les Bonbons”, will evoke this reality: “in substandard housing, it is not only the walls that are damaged; people too ”.

Respiratory and allergic pathologies

In fact, in the 600,000 substandard dwellings and 85,000 makeshift dwellings (tents, cabins, caravans) counted in the country, “water infiltration, poor ventilation and insufficient (or even absent) heating cause high humidity and the development of molds that aggravate or cause allergic and respiratory pathologies, ”recalls the Foundation.

Thus, a study carried out by the Abbé Pierre Foundation has shown that the frequency of these pathologies is increased in energy-poor households (who cannot heat themselves properly). Some 5 million households are affected.

5,300 children with lead poisoning

“In old housing, humidity and dilapidation can also lead to the degradation of lead paints, the ingestion of dust and scales of which is particularly dangerous for young children: more than 5,300 children are now suffering from lead poisoning. in France, a disease that causes serious and irreversible developmental disorders, ”the press release added.

With this new campaign, the Abbé Pierre Foundation intends to highlight that poor housing is a public health problem. She will also come back to this issue in her next report on “The State of poor housing in France” which she will present on January 28, 2016.