Housing & Home Environment

Overview

Extension's goal is for individuals of all ages to have access to affordable, safe, and decent housing.

We provide users with information about water and energy conservation, reducing waste, buying or renting a home, and improving the indoor environment by reducing pollutants like mold, radon, lead, and volatile organic compounds. These resources allow families and individuals to create healthy, safe, and sustainable homes and improve their quality of life.

Publications

Commercial and Professional Publications

• On-Site Reuse of Ground Wood Waste from Georgia Residential Construction

General Publications

• Buying, Owning, and Renting a Home
• Indoor Air
• Conserving Resources
• Management of Pest Insects In and Around the Home
• Protecting Your Well and Wellhead
• Household Water Quality: Coliform Bacteria in Your Water
• Understanding Your Water Bill
• Your Household Water Quality: Odors in Your Water
• Termite Control Services: Information for the Georgia Property Owner
• Identifying the Formosan Subterranean Termite
• Pesticide Safety for the Homeowner
• Rainwater Harvesting for Homeowners

To see other publications, go to the CAES Publications site or the FACS Publications listing.

News

For the latest news about Extension, visit Georgia FACES. News you can use about Georgia family, agricultural, consumer and enviromental sciences.

• The path to financial stability starts with small steps
• Give the gift of a healthy home this Christmas
• Andress Receives National Award for Excellence in Extension
• Shop smart this holiday season
• Traditional recipes get a healthy reboot
• Uninvited guests can hitch a ride inside on firewood
• Retail therapy is not a healthy habit
• Fruit flies are annoying but not harmful
• Farmers markets offer fresh, local produce at a good price
• Set goals now to save money this year

Websites

UGA-affiliated sites

• FCS Publications: Housing and Environment
  Family and Consumer Sciences' Extension information related to housing.
• Georgia Initiative for Community Housing
  Offers communities in Georgia a three-year program of collaboration and technical assistance in addressing their housing and neighborhood revitalization needs.
• Home Disaster Preparedness Plan
  Offers tips to prepare for home emergencies.
• Impact Statements: Housing
  Descriptions of Extension efforts to improve knowledge & practices related to housing.
• UGA GreenWay
  Information on ways you and your neighborhood can live greener by green cleaning, reducing waste, conserving resources, and investing green.

External sites

• Energy Star
  Offers information about energy efficiency and conservation.
• Georgia Department of Community Affairs
  Provides resources for community and economic development programs in Georgia.
• Georgia Environmental Finance Authority
  Provides assistance for programs related to water, wastewater, solid waste, recycling, land conservation, energy efficiency and fuel storage tanks for local governments, other state agencies and non-profit organizations.
• Healthy Homes Partnership
  Helps families learn about the risks they face at home and how to reduce them. Parents and others can find out more about the dangers of things like lead-based paint, pesticides, and drinking water.​
• National Center for Healthy Housing
  NCHH conducts research to find scientifically valid and practical strategies for making homes safe and healthy.
• U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
  HUD's mission is to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all.
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
  Website for federal agency dedicated to protecting human health and the environment.

Training

Cooperative Extension offers training within local communities on a wide array of topics. To see if there are training events in your area, please visit our calendar.

• Essentials for Healthy Homes Practitioners Course
  This two-day course helps health and home inspectors understand the connection between health and housing and learn how to take a holistic approach to identify and resolve problems that threaten the health and well-being of residents.
• Georgia Radon Education Program
  Educates Georgians on how to protect themselves from the risk of developing lung cancer caused by the unwelcome entry of radon gas in their homes.