HomeFree Resources Make Healthier Choices Easy

HBN | July 2021 | Newsletter

Whether you´ve been a fan of HBN for a long time or you have just been introduced to our work, there’s a good chance you might have come across our HomeFree program. This brief primer will get you up to speed with our latest resources and actionable steps you can take to bring material health into your project.

Who we are

HomeFree is Healthy Building Network’s national program co-created with affordable housing practitioners and designers to transform the built environment to safer building products. Our goal is to improve the health of all people and the planet, especially marginalized communities and children who are disproportionately exposed to toxic chemicals.
We know that demanding and specifying healthier materials makes a difference in the entire system – from extraction, to manufacture, installation, occupancy, maintenance, and end of life. By beginning with affordable housing, HomeFree works to ensure that solutions are affordable and scalable for any project or application. Regardless of real estate sector, HomeFree resources can help you deliver healthier and safer buildings.

HomeFree’s material guidance

HomeFree’s healthier material guidance is available for 10 product categories (flooring, paint, drywall, countertops, cabinetry & millwork, doors, insulation, flooring installation accessories, sealants, and turf) and includes:

  • HomeFree’s Hazard Spectrum, a tool that facilitates comparing materials within product categories based on their typical content and associated hazards

  • Templates you can use to request transparency from manufacturers

  • Resources to help you achieve Enterprise Green Communities materials credits

  • Specification language ready to use in your own healthier material specifications

  • Case studies of affordable housing projects where healthier products have been used

  • Self-paced online courses and webinars about building materials, their hazards, and healthier alternatives

  • And more

Visit HomeFree today and start your journey to selecting safer materials.

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Help Make HomeFree Stronger

Our Team is working hard to improve your experience using HomeFree and ensure that our resources are aligned with the strategic needs of our audience. Please take our survey to help us better understand your goals and concerns around the use of healthier materials. You will also get a chance to share your ideas on creating new and improving our existing resources.