By William Severyn, Sr.

According to the National Center for Healthy Housing (NCHH), a healthy home is one that helps support good health. Severyn Development, Inc., a family-owned custom-home building business, focuses on important NCHH guidelines for building healthy homes throughout Western New York.

  • Clean. Clean homes help reduce pest infestations and exposure to contaminants.
  • Pest-Free: Studies show that exposure to mice and cockroaches exacerbates asthma episodes in children, as do treatments for pest infestations, which also create risks for neurological damage and cancer.
  • Ventilated: Studies show that increasing the fresh air supply in a home improves respiratory health.
  • Safe: Most injuries sustained by children occur in the home and result from falls, objects in the home, burns, and poisonings.
  • Contaminant-Free: Healthy homes should be free from the dangers of exposure to chemicals, such as lead, radon, pesticides, volatile organic compounds, PFAS, and environmental tobacco smoke.
  • Maintained: Poorly maintained homes are at risk for moisture and pest problems. Additionally, deteriorated lead-based paint in older housing causes lead poisoning in about 535,000 U.S. children annually.
  • Thermally Controlled: Homes that are thermally controlled help prevent residents from health problems due to prolonged exposure to excessive heat or cold.
  • Accessible: Lack of accessibility to get in and out of the home easily can result in reduced physical activity, trips, falls, isolation from family and friends, and poor mental health. Rather than planning for modifications years down the road, new homes should be designed for the accessibility of all possible occupants, regardless of their age or mobility.
  • Affordable: Spending more than 30% of your income on housing is characterized as being cost-burdened, and spending more than 50% of your income on housing is considered severely cost-burdened. Excessive home costs can result in difficulty paying rents or mortgages, evictions or foreclosures, frequent moves, overcrowding, having to live with relatives or friends, and homelessness. It can also result in families having to live in substandard housing, often in unsafe neighborhoods, and result in damaged credit, job loss, lack of nutritious food and adequate health care, and poor mental health.

Severyn Development offers highly affordable options for healthy-minded homebuyers, including 2×6 exterior walls for added insulation to minimize exterior noise; Energy Star certification for all homes which brings fresh air through the heating system for enhanced warmth in winter and cooling in summer; set-back thermostats, accessible stairs and ramps; zero entry showers, grab bars and handles in bathrooms; night light switch and outlet covers for lighting darker home areas; security systems and ring doorbells.

Most importantly, Severyn is offering many affordable home options that meet the needs of people today. Learn more about current projects, home plans, and more at www.severyn.co or call 716-818-0207.

William Severyn, Sr. is a Director at Severyn Development Inc. and a licensed real estate broker at Hunt Real Estate ERA. His keen understanding of what buyers want in today’s market is an asset in Severyn Development’s ability to design healthy affordable communities and custom homes.