Image: Infrogmation. Used under creative commons license
New Zealand charity Whare Hauora says New Zealand has a nationwide epidemic of cold, damp homes that are making people sick. It is calling on the Government to fund the provision of temperature and humidity sensors for every room in the homes of those in need to enable them to better understand their home environment.
The charity says a third of NZ homes are cold or damp and respiratory illness is the third leading cause of death in the nation, and costs $NZ5.5b per year.
Meanwhile, the charity – which manufactures such sensors — has launched a PledgeMe campaignasking for support from New Zealanders to provide free sensor kits to communities in need. The kits comprise four sensors, a gateway and a mobile app that enables the resident to monitor the sensors. It is looking to raise $NZ150,000.
Whare Hauora CEO, Hīria Te Rangi said helping families to understand what is happening in each room of their house would empower them to take action. The charity says it aims to have the sensors in all 1.5 million New Zealand home within five years.
According to Whare Hauora’s web site it was founded as a result of the experience of one of its now trustees, Brenda Wallace.
Brenda’s five year old daughter was sick with chronic asthma that meant hospital visits and lots of time off school. To help understand if the problem was their home, Brenda paid $300 for one sensor, but she didn’t want to buy more at such a high cost.
“Thinking there had to be a better way, Brenda bought $30 worth of parts and created her own sensors for her home. Putting one in each bedroom and comparing the differences in warmth and moisture levels.
With this information, Brenda was able to take actions to reduce her daughter’s asthma. And when Brenda told her friend Amber Craig what she’d learned, they thought about all the other families who would benefit from home sensors.”
Its web site says it is working to produce sensors in New Zealand but the cost of manufacturing is currently too high. “So for now, we’re researching ethical businesses overseas to make large quantities of our sensors. Your money will help our sole full-time staff member to travel to meet manufacturers, inspect factories and make sure they’re the right fit at the right price.”
The organisation says it is also working with a range of partners
- Dr Lance O’Sullivan and the iMoko [a healthcare programme developed to increase access to health services for children] team for their medical expertise and outreach to the community.
- The MyRivr [an app designed to facilitate access to social services] team for their access to social service providers in the community.
- The University of Otago for their healthy home research.
- The Sustainability Trust for their work with communities in making their homes healthier.
