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• 21. [Article] Moving to Location Affordability? Housing Choice Vouchers and Residential Relocation in the Portland, Oregon, Region

  Location affordability measures a household’s combined cost of housing and transportation. Low-income households have the most to gain from housing with lower transportation costs. This research analyzes ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Moving to Location Affordability? Housing Choice Vouchers and Residential Relocation in the Portland, Oregon, Region Author: Tremoulet, Andrée, Dann, Ryan, Adkins, Arlie Year: 2016 Location affordability measures a household’s combined cost of housing and transportation. Low-income households have the most to gain from housing with lower transportation costs. This research analyzes whether Housing Choice Voucher Program households—participants in a program designed to provide low-income households with a greater degree of housing choice—are able to choose housing that lowers their transportation costs in a metropolitan region with a compact, vital urban core. A mixed-methods approach is used to investigate the differences in location affordability and efficiency among 2,026 voucher recipients who moved within the Portland, Oregon, region during 2012–2013. Location mattered to movers, but in some unexpected ways. Urban movers relocated to less location efficient areas, whereas suburban movers’ location efficiency remained stable. In tight housing markets, voucher holders may be edged out of location-efficient neighborhoods and thus incur increased transportation costs. Title: Moving to Location Affordability? Housing Choice Vouchers and Residential Relocation in the Portland, Oregon, Region Author: Tremoulet, Andrée, Dann, Ryan, Adkins, Arlie Year: 2016 Location affordability measures a household’s combined cost of housing and transportation. Low-income households have the most to gain from housing with lower transportation costs. This research analyzes whether Housing Choice Voucher Program households—participants in a program designed to provide low-income households with a greater degree of housing choice—are able to choose housing that lowers their transportation costs in a metropolitan region with a compact, vital urban core. A mixed-methods approach is used to investigate the differences in location affordability and efficiency among 2,026 voucher recipients who moved within the Portland, Oregon, region during 2012–2013. Location mattered to movers, but in some unexpected ways. Urban movers relocated to less location efficient areas, whereas suburban movers’ location efficiency remained stable. In tight housing markets, voucher holders may be edged out of location-efficient neighborhoods and thus incur increased transportation costs. Close

• 22. [Article] Study Design of a Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial to Evaluate a Large-scale Distribution of Cook Stoves and Water Filters in Western Province, Rwanda

  Background: In Rwanda, pneumonia and diarrhea are the first and second leading causes of death, respectively, among children under five. Household air pollution (HAP) resultant from cooking indoors with ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Study Design of a Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial to Evaluate a Large-scale Distribution of Cook Stoves and Water Filters in Western Province, Rwanda Author: Nagel, Corey L., Kirby, Miles, Zambrano, Laura D., Rosa, Ghislaine, Barstow, Christina K., Thomas, Evan A., Clasen, Thomas Year: 2016 Background: In Rwanda, pneumonia and diarrhea are the first and second leading causes of death, respectively, among children under five. Household air pollution (HAP) resultant from cooking indoors with biomass fuels on traditional stoves is a significant risk factor for pneumonia, while consumption of contaminated drinking water is a primary cause of diarrheal disease. To date, there have been no largescale effectiveness trials of programmatic efforts to provide either improved cookstoves or household water filters at scale in a low-income country. In this paper we describe the design of a clusterrandomized trial to evaluate the impact of a national-level program to distribute and promote the use of improved cookstoves and advanced water filters to the poorest quarter of households in Rwanda. Methods/Design: We randomly allocated 72 sectors (administratively defined units) in Western Province to the intervention, with the remaining 24 sectors in the province serving as controls. In the intervention sectors, roughly 100,000 households received improved cookstoves and household water filters through a government-sponsored program targeting the poorest quarter of households nationally. The primary outcome measures are the incidence of acute respiratory infection (ARI) and diarrhea among children under five years of age. Over a one-year surveillance period, all cases of acute respiratory infection (ARI) and diarrhea identified by health workers in the study area will be extracted from records maintained at health facilities and by community health workers (CHW). In addition, we are conducting intensive, longitudinal data collection among a random sample of households in the study area for in-depth assessment of coverage, use, environmental exposures, and additional health measures. Discussion: Although previous research has examined the impact of providing household water treatment and improved cookstoves on child health, there have been no studies of national-level programs to deliver these interventions at scale in a developing country. The results of this study, the first RCT of a large-scale programmatic cookstove or household water filter intervention, will inform global efforts to reduce childhood morbidity and mortality from diarrheal disease and pneumonia. Title: Study Design of a Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial to Evaluate a Large-scale Distribution of Cook Stoves and Water Filters in Western Province, Rwanda Author: Nagel, Corey L., Kirby, Miles, Zambrano, Laura D., Rosa, Ghislaine, Barstow, Christina K., Thomas, Evan A., Clasen, Thomas Year: 2016 Background: In Rwanda, pneumonia and diarrhea are the first and second leading causes of death, respectively, among children under five. Household air pollution (HAP) resultant from cooking indoors with biomass fuels on traditional stoves is a significant risk factor for pneumonia, while consumption of contaminated drinking water is a primary cause of diarrheal disease. To date, there have been no largescale effectiveness trials of programmatic efforts to provide either improved cookstoves or household water filters at scale in a low-income country. In this paper we describe the design of a clusterrandomized trial to evaluate the impact of a national-level program to distribute and promote the use of improved cookstoves and advanced water filters to the poorest quarter of households in Rwanda. Methods/Design: We randomly allocated 72 sectors (administratively defined units) in Western Province to the intervention, with the remaining 24 sectors in the province serving as controls. In the intervention sectors, roughly 100,000 households received improved cookstoves and household water filters through a government-sponsored program targeting the poorest quarter of households nationally. The primary outcome measures are the incidence of acute respiratory infection (ARI) and diarrhea among children under five years of age. Over a one-year surveillance period, all cases of acute respiratory infection (ARI) and diarrhea identified by health workers in the study area will be extracted from records maintained at health facilities and by community health workers (CHW). In addition, we are conducting intensive, longitudinal data collection among a random sample of households in the study area for in-depth assessment of coverage, use, environmental exposures, and additional health measures. Discussion: Although previous research has examined the impact of providing household water treatment and improved cookstoves on child health, there have been no studies of national-level programs to deliver these interventions at scale in a developing country. The results of this study, the first RCT of a large-scale programmatic cookstove or household water filter intervention, will inform global efforts to reduce childhood morbidity and mortality from diarrheal disease and pneumonia. Close

• 23. [Article] Regional Water Providers Consortium Population, Housing Unit, and Household Estimates 1990 to 2013

  Water providers have an ongoing need for estimates and forecasts of the total population and the number of housing units and households within their service areas. While some of the water providers within ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Regional Water Providers Consortium Population, Housing Unit, and Household Estimates 1990 to 2013 Author: Rynerson, Charles, Rancik, Kevin Year: 2014 Water providers have an ongoing need for estimates and forecasts of the total population and the number of housing units and households within their service areas. While some of the water providers within Clackamas, Multnomah, and Washington counties have obtained this information periodically on an individual basis, a complete and systematic set of estimates and forecasts for all members of the Regional Water Providers Consortium has not been prepared for nearly 10 years. The Portland Water Bureau (PWB), on behalf of the Regional Water Providers Consortium, requested that the Portland State University Population Research Center (PRC) update service area boundaries and prepare population, housing unit, and household estimates and forecasts for the water service areas of the municipalities and water districts in the Consortium, as well as the wholesale customers of the PWB that are not Consortium members. This report includes a brief description of the procedures and methodologies used to update the boundaries and prepare estimates for each year from 1990 to 2013. The Appendix contains these estimates in detail for each provider. A future report will include population, housing unit, and household forecasts for each year from 2014 to 2045. Title: Regional Water Providers Consortium Population, Housing Unit, and Household Estimates 1990 to 2013 Author: Rynerson, Charles, Rancik, Kevin Year: 2014 Water providers have an ongoing need for estimates and forecasts of the total population and the number of housing units and households within their service areas. While some of the water providers within Clackamas, Multnomah, and Washington counties have obtained this information periodically on an individual basis, a complete and systematic set of estimates and forecasts for all members of the Regional Water Providers Consortium has not been prepared for nearly 10 years. The Portland Water Bureau (PWB), on behalf of the Regional Water Providers Consortium, requested that the Portland State University Population Research Center (PRC) update service area boundaries and prepare population, housing unit, and household estimates and forecasts for the water service areas of the municipalities and water districts in the Consortium, as well as the wholesale customers of the PWB that are not Consortium members. This report includes a brief description of the procedures and methodologies used to update the boundaries and prepare estimates for each year from 1990 to 2013. The Appendix contains these estimates in detail for each provider. A future report will include population, housing unit, and household forecasts for each year from 2014 to 2045. Close

• 24. [Article] Tools for Assisting Low-Income Households with Finding Location-Efficient Housing

  Through a previously funded research project, Encouraging Low-Income Households to Make Location-Efficient Housing Choices, our team developed a toolkit to assist households utilizing Section 8 Housing ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Tools for Assisting Low-Income Households with Finding Location-Efficient Housing Author: Tremoulet, Andrée Year: 2016 Through a previously funded research project, Encouraging Low-Income Households to Make Location-Efficient Housing Choices, our team developed a toolkit to assist households utilizing Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers with finding location-efficient/affordable housing. These tools are currently in use by the region’s four public housing authorities (PHAs). This technology transfer project provided the tools to social service providers who work with voucher recipients in the Portland region and provided a presentation on research findings and policy implications to transportation researchers, professionals and students. Specific activities included: • In-person presentations to groups of social service providers in three counties (four presentations total) who provide case management and other intensive social services for households with low incomes. • A TREC-sponsored presentation/webinar as part of the TREC Friday Transportation Seminar series In addition, final edits were completed on a manuscript included in Housing Policy Debate’s special issue on location-affordable housing. Additional research was begun on a manuscript for submission to the Transportation Research Board. Title: Tools for Assisting Low-Income Households with Finding Location-Efficient Housing Author: Tremoulet, Andrée Year: 2016 Through a previously funded research project, Encouraging Low-Income Households to Make Location-Efficient Housing Choices, our team developed a toolkit to assist households utilizing Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers with finding location-efficient/affordable housing. These tools are currently in use by the region’s four public housing authorities (PHAs). This technology transfer project provided the tools to social service providers who work with voucher recipients in the Portland region and provided a presentation on research findings and policy implications to transportation researchers, professionals and students. Specific activities included: • In-person presentations to groups of social service providers in three counties (four presentations total) who provide case management and other intensive social services for households with low incomes. • A TREC-sponsored presentation/webinar as part of the TREC Friday Transportation Seminar series In addition, final edits were completed on a manuscript included in Housing Policy Debate’s special issue on location-affordable housing. Additional research was begun on a manuscript for submission to the Transportation Research Board. Close

• 25. [Article] Exurban Commuting Patterns: A Case Study of the Portland Oregon Region

  Many North Americans have been moving to exurbia --low density, rural housing within the commuting range of urban areas. It has been assumed that employment is a major link. of exurban households with ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Exurban Commuting Patterns: A Case Study of the Portland Oregon Region Author: Davis, Judy Seppanen Year: 1990 Many North Americans have been moving to exurbia --low density, rural housing within the commuting range of urban areas. It has been assumed that employment is a major link. of exurban households with urban areas. It has been assumed that employment is a major link. of exurban households with urban areas. This analysis of exurban commuting patterns is based on a mail survey of 1408 households who bought homes in 1987 near Portland, Oregon. The bid-rent model of urban form predicts that exurbanites will trade-off long commutes for lower housing prices. But previous research suggests that exurban living may not require long commutes because of decentralized employment. The study finds that exurban commuters travel farther than suburban commuters and pay less for housing. Exurban home buyers do not, however, have longer commutes the farther out they live. Instead those with urban jobs generally locate closer to the city center than those with decentralized jobs. The commuting times of exurban principal wage earners are also influenced by occupation, flextime use, and by the presence and employment status of other adults in the household. The commuting times of exurban secondary wage earners are influenced by the number of hours they work, their mode of travel, and the number of children they have. Although most exurban home buyers moved to obtain a bigger lot and a more rural environment, there were many differences among households. Four types of exurban households were identified with cluster analysis. Only the Child-Raising households take full advantage of decentralized jobs to live in rural areas without longer commutes than suburbanites. In contrast, Long-Distance Commuters travel nearly twice the average time because they usually hold urban jobs and want large, but inexpensive, lots. Affluents also hold many urban jobs but can afford larger lots closer-in than others. The Economy-Minded commute average distances to obtain cheaper housing on smaller lots. This study improves understanding of the exurban development process. The study also finds that the bid-rent model of urban form is a useful theory for understanding exurban development despite the decentralization of employment and the predominance of two wage earner households. Title: Exurban Commuting Patterns: A Case Study of the Portland Oregon Region Author: Davis, Judy Seppanen Year: 1990 Many North Americans have been moving to exurbia --low density, rural housing within the commuting range of urban areas. It has been assumed that employment is a major link. of exurban households with urban areas. It has been assumed that employment is a major link. of exurban households with urban areas. This analysis of exurban commuting patterns is based on a mail survey of 1408 households who bought homes in 1987 near Portland, Oregon. The bid-rent model of urban form predicts that exurbanites will trade-off long commutes for lower housing prices. But previous research suggests that exurban living may not require long commutes because of decentralized employment. The study finds that exurban commuters travel farther than suburban commuters and pay less for housing. Exurban home buyers do not, however, have longer commutes the farther out they live. Instead those with urban jobs generally locate closer to the city center than those with decentralized jobs. The commuting times of exurban principal wage earners are also influenced by occupation, flextime use, and by the presence and employment status of other adults in the household. The commuting times of exurban secondary wage earners are influenced by the number of hours they work, their mode of travel, and the number of children they have. Although most exurban home buyers moved to obtain a bigger lot and a more rural environment, there were many differences among households. Four types of exurban households were identified with cluster analysis. Only the Child-Raising households take full advantage of decentralized jobs to live in rural areas without longer commutes than suburbanites. In contrast, Long-Distance Commuters travel nearly twice the average time because they usually hold urban jobs and want large, but inexpensive, lots. Affluents also hold many urban jobs but can afford larger lots closer-in than others. The Economy-Minded commute average distances to obtain cheaper housing on smaller lots. This study improves understanding of the exurban development process. The study also finds that the bid-rent model of urban form is a useful theory for understanding exurban development despite the decentralization of employment and the predominance of two wage earner households. Close

• 26. [Article] Affordable Housing Needs Study for the Portland Metropolitan Area Draft Final Report

  The purpose of this report is to respond to the recommendations of the Regional Housing Choice Task Force by providing information to guide housing choice policy for the Metro Council. In particular, the ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Affordable Housing Needs Study for the Portland Metropolitan Area Draft Final Report Author: Hough, George C., Jr., Martin, Sheila A., Mildner, Gerard C., Proehl, Risa S. Year: 2007 The purpose of this report is to respond to the recommendations of the Regional Housing Choice Task Force by providing information to guide housing choice policy for the Metro Council. In particular, the objectives of this project were to: estimate current and future affordable housing need for the Metro region; describe the distribution of households by income, age, and size across the metro region; describe the tenure of these households and the type of housing they will choose; identify and describe those household types that are most likely to struggle to meet the cost of housing based on their income; and make recommendations for improving analysis of affordable housing need in the future. Our approach to this task was to use output from the Metroscope model, using the base case scenario, to forecast the housing consumption decisions of households from 2005 to 2035. We chose the Metroscope model after also considering the State of Oregon?s Housing/Land Needs model. We concluded from examining the assumptions and abilities of each model that Metroscope is better able to offer the Metro Council the insight into the housing market required to inform housing choice policy. The Metroscope model incorporates housing supply and demand for the entire four-county metropolitan region (Multnomah, Washington, Clackamas, and Clark counties). The region comprises a single housing market; residents travel throughout the region to work, shop, and socialize. Thus, it makes little sense to examine any one county in isolation. While this report does not include the results for Clark County, its impact on demand and supply of housing in the rest of the region is taken into account in the Metroscope model and is reflected in the results presented here. Given the assumptions of the Metroscope model (described in Section 2), we address several questions, including: Where will household growth occur? What kinds of households will grow? What kinds of housing will these households live in? What percentage of their income will they pay for housing? What demographic groups are most cost-burdened and where do those households reside? This report offers a summary of the findings regarding each of these questions. Title: Affordable Housing Needs Study for the Portland Metropolitan Area Draft Final Report Author: Hough, George C., Jr., Martin, Sheila A., Mildner, Gerard C., Proehl, Risa S. Year: 2007 The purpose of this report is to respond to the recommendations of the Regional Housing Choice Task Force by providing information to guide housing choice policy for the Metro Council. In particular, the objectives of this project were to: estimate current and future affordable housing need for the Metro region; describe the distribution of households by income, age, and size across the metro region; describe the tenure of these households and the type of housing they will choose; identify and describe those household types that are most likely to struggle to meet the cost of housing based on their income; and make recommendations for improving analysis of affordable housing need in the future. Our approach to this task was to use output from the Metroscope model, using the base case scenario, to forecast the housing consumption decisions of households from 2005 to 2035. We chose the Metroscope model after also considering the State of Oregon?s Housing/Land Needs model. We concluded from examining the assumptions and abilities of each model that Metroscope is better able to offer the Metro Council the insight into the housing market required to inform housing choice policy. The Metroscope model incorporates housing supply and demand for the entire four-county metropolitan region (Multnomah, Washington, Clackamas, and Clark counties). The region comprises a single housing market; residents travel throughout the region to work, shop, and socialize. Thus, it makes little sense to examine any one county in isolation. While this report does not include the results for Clark County, its impact on demand and supply of housing in the rest of the region is taken into account in the Metroscope model and is reflected in the results presented here. Given the assumptions of the Metroscope model (described in Section 2), we address several questions, including: Where will household growth occur? What kinds of households will grow? What kinds of housing will these households live in? What percentage of their income will they pay for housing? What demographic groups are most cost-burdened and where do those households reside? This report offers a summary of the findings regarding each of these questions. Close

• 27. [Article] Is there a case for in-kind income transfers?: an analysis of the low-income housing and food stamp programs

  The primary objective of this research was to assess the equity and efficiency of in-kind income transfers. The analytical framework employed incorporated key concepts of the utility interdependence paradigm ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Is there a case for in-kind income transfers?: an analysis of the low-income housing and food stamp programs Author: Barmack, Judy Year: 1975 The primary objective of this research was to assess the equity and efficiency of in-kind income transfers. The analytical framework employed incorporated key concepts of the utility interdependence paradigm from economic welfare theory. This paradigm views income transfers as social goods and suggests that social as well as private benefits may be derived from the redistribution of income. This study attempted to assess some of the empirical implications of the utility interdependence argument through the investigation of the low-income housing and Food Stamp programs in Multnomah County, Oregon for FY 1973. Data were drawn from agency files, published statistics and documents, interviews with program administrators, and a survey of the records of 498 Non-Public Assistance Food stamp households. The private and social benefits and costs of the programs were estimated. The program participation rates and the socio-economic characteristics of recipient households were ascertained. Particular attention was devoted to an evaluaLion of the efficacy of in-kind transfers in inducing substitution effects or producing social benefits through the alteration of the consumption patterns of the target population. In addition to an economic analysis of in-kind transfers, the political environment of welfare legislation was detailed. The results of this research suggest that in-kind income transfers are an inefficient and inequitable method of redistributing income. All programs investigated were characterized by high administrative costs. The administrative share of the public program budget ranged from 20% in the Food Stamp Program to over 50% in Public Housing. All programs were found to be inequitable in that households with similar socio-economic characteristics did not receive similar benefits. Housing programs discriminate among the equally needy by restricting supply. In the Food Stamp Program, a complex income determination formula, which is used to calculate program benefits, results in a considerable variation in the subsidies provided to households of equivalent size and income. The low-income housing and Food Stamp programs were also found to be ineffective in producing those social benefits which are specifically related to changes in the consumption patterns of the target population as a whole. While housing programs were found to induce substitution effects by furnishing large subsidies to a small number of households, only 5% of the eligible received benefits. Programs which leave the vast majority of the poorly housed untouched were judged unlikely to significantly diminish the external diseconomies presumed to be associated with the housing expenditure patterns of the entire population of eligible. In contrast, the Food stamp Program provides less generous subsidies to all eligible applicants. Food stamp subsidies were found to be insufficient to generate substitution effects; the food consumption patterns demanded of recipient households were not different from the food expenditure patterns of comparable households with income entirely in cash. While the distribution of benefits in the housing and Food stamp programs strongly favors the poor, large numbers of non-poor are officially eligible for assistance. It was estimated that 37% of the households in the country were eligible for low-income housing and approximately 46% were eligible for food stamps. While the tight supply of housing transfers limits the growth of program participation, an enormous expansion of participation in the open-ended Food Stamp Program is possible. The economic analysis of in-kind transfer programs emphasized their deficiencies as redistributive mechanisms. However, the political potency of in-kind programs was found to be considerable. Policy-makers appear to be responsive to pressures to perpetuate and expand established programs, rather than to empirically validate the assumptions on which they are based. In view of the political popularity of in-kind transfers and the public antipathy to transfers of cash, it is probable that transfers in-kind will command an increasing share of the welfare budget. Title: Is there a case for in-kind income transfers?: an analysis of the low-income housing and food stamp programs Author: Barmack, Judy Year: 1975 The primary objective of this research was to assess the equity and efficiency of in-kind income transfers. The analytical framework employed incorporated key concepts of the utility interdependence paradigm from economic welfare theory. This paradigm views income transfers as social goods and suggests that social as well as private benefits may be derived from the redistribution of income. This study attempted to assess some of the empirical implications of the utility interdependence argument through the investigation of the low-income housing and Food Stamp programs in Multnomah County, Oregon for FY 1973. Data were drawn from agency files, published statistics and documents, interviews with program administrators, and a survey of the records of 498 Non-Public Assistance Food stamp households. The private and social benefits and costs of the programs were estimated. The program participation rates and the socio-economic characteristics of recipient households were ascertained. Particular attention was devoted to an evaluaLion of the efficacy of in-kind transfers in inducing substitution effects or producing social benefits through the alteration of the consumption patterns of the target population. In addition to an economic analysis of in-kind transfers, the political environment of welfare legislation was detailed. The results of this research suggest that in-kind income transfers are an inefficient and inequitable method of redistributing income. All programs investigated were characterized by high administrative costs. The administrative share of the public program budget ranged from 20% in the Food Stamp Program to over 50% in Public Housing. All programs were found to be inequitable in that households with similar socio-economic characteristics did not receive similar benefits. Housing programs discriminate among the equally needy by restricting supply. In the Food Stamp Program, a complex income determination formula, which is used to calculate program benefits, results in a considerable variation in the subsidies provided to households of equivalent size and income. The low-income housing and Food Stamp programs were also found to be ineffective in producing those social benefits which are specifically related to changes in the consumption patterns of the target population as a whole. While housing programs were found to induce substitution effects by furnishing large subsidies to a small number of households, only 5% of the eligible received benefits. Programs which leave the vast majority of the poorly housed untouched were judged unlikely to significantly diminish the external diseconomies presumed to be associated with the housing expenditure patterns of the entire population of eligible. In contrast, the Food stamp Program provides less generous subsidies to all eligible applicants. Food stamp subsidies were found to be insufficient to generate substitution effects; the food consumption patterns demanded of recipient households were not different from the food expenditure patterns of comparable households with income entirely in cash. While the distribution of benefits in the housing and Food stamp programs strongly favors the poor, large numbers of non-poor are officially eligible for assistance. It was estimated that 37% of the households in the country were eligible for low-income housing and approximately 46% were eligible for food stamps. While the tight supply of housing transfers limits the growth of program participation, an enormous expansion of participation in the open-ended Food Stamp Program is possible. The economic analysis of in-kind transfer programs emphasized their deficiencies as redistributive mechanisms. However, the political potency of in-kind programs was found to be considerable. Policy-makers appear to be responsive to pressures to perpetuate and expand established programs, rather than to empirically validate the assumptions on which they are based. In view of the political popularity of in-kind transfers and the public antipathy to transfers of cash, it is probable that transfers in-kind will command an increasing share of the welfare budget. Close

• 28. [Article] Use, Microbiological Effectiveness and Health Impact of a Household Water Filter Intervention in Rural Rwanda-A Matched Cohort Study

  Unsafe drinking water is a substantial health risk contributing to child diarrhoea. We investigated impacts of a program that provided a water filter to households in rural Rwandan villages. We assessed ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Use, Microbiological Effectiveness and Health Impact of a Household Water Filter Intervention in Rural Rwanda-A Matched Cohort Study Author: Kirby, Miles A., Nagel, Corey L., Rosa, Ghislaine, Umupfasoni, Marie Mediatrice, Lyakaremye, Laurien, Thomas, Evan A., Clasen, Thomas F. Year: 2017 Unsafe drinking water is a substantial health risk contributing to child diarrhoea. We investigated impacts of a program that provided a water filter to households in rural Rwandan villages. We assessed drinking water quality and reported diarrhoea 12–24 months after intervention delivery among 269 households in the poorest tertile with a child under 5 from 9 intervention villages and 9 matched control villages. We also documented filter coverage and use. In Round 1 (12–18 months after delivery), 97.4% of intervention households reported receiving the filter, 84.5% were working, and 86.0% of working filters contained water. Sensors confirmed half of households with working filters filled them at least once every other day on average. Coverage and usage was similar in Round 2 (19–24 months after delivery). The odds of detecting faecal indicator bacteria in drinking water were 78% lower in the intervention arm than the control arm (odds ratio (OR) 0.22, 95% credible interval (CrI) 0.10–0.39, p < 0.001). The intervention arm also had 50% lower odds of reported diarrhoea among children <5 than the control arm (OR = 0.50, 95% CrI 0.23–0.90, p = 0.03). The protective effect of the filter is also suggested by reduced odds of reported diarrhoea-related visits to community health workers or clinics, although these did not reach statistical significance. Title: Use, Microbiological Effectiveness and Health Impact of a Household Water Filter Intervention in Rural Rwanda-A Matched Cohort Study Author: Kirby, Miles A., Nagel, Corey L., Rosa, Ghislaine, Umupfasoni, Marie Mediatrice, Lyakaremye, Laurien, Thomas, Evan A., Clasen, Thomas F. Year: 2017 Unsafe drinking water is a substantial health risk contributing to child diarrhoea. We investigated impacts of a program that provided a water filter to households in rural Rwandan villages. We assessed drinking water quality and reported diarrhoea 12–24 months after intervention delivery among 269 households in the poorest tertile with a child under 5 from 9 intervention villages and 9 matched control villages. We also documented filter coverage and use. In Round 1 (12–18 months after delivery), 97.4% of intervention households reported receiving the filter, 84.5% were working, and 86.0% of working filters contained water. Sensors confirmed half of households with working filters filled them at least once every other day on average. Coverage and usage was similar in Round 2 (19–24 months after delivery). The odds of detecting faecal indicator bacteria in drinking water were 78% lower in the intervention arm than the control arm (odds ratio (OR) 0.22, 95% credible interval (CrI) 0.10–0.39, p < 0.001). The intervention arm also had 50% lower odds of reported diarrhoea among children <5 than the control arm (OR = 0.50, 95% CrI 0.23–0.90, p = 0.03). The protective effect of the filter is also suggested by reduced odds of reported diarrhoea-related visits to community health workers or clinics, although these did not reach statistical significance. Close

• 29. [Article] Safety in Maize: Subsistence Agriculture in a Zapotec Migrant Town

  Subsistence maize production has long been a dominant economic activity of households in Santiago Apóstol, a Zapotec community in the Central Valley of Oaxaca, Mexico. A baseline study from 1973 documents ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Safety in Maize: Subsistence Agriculture in a Zapotec Migrant Town Author: Gladstone, Fiona Joy Year: 2014 Subsistence maize production has long been a dominant economic activity of households in Santiago Apóstol, a Zapotec community in the Central Valley of Oaxaca, Mexico. A baseline study from 1973 documents a regionally pervasive form of household level agriculture whereby cultivators prioritize land for subsistence maize above commercial crops. Since then, much has transformed the face of rural Mexico, including migration to the United States. Migration accelerated beginning in the 1970s as a response to government disinvestment in maize, but it may also be a new force of cultural and economic change impacting agriculture. The question arises, has migration modified longstanding subsistence agricultural practices centered on local varieties of rainfed maize? If not, what might explain the continuities and changes in agricultural practice observed? Ethnographic land use and maize consumption surveys among 19 migrant headed households conducted in Santiago Apóstol in the summer and winter of 2012 indicate that mean production of maize remains equivalent to that documented in the late 1960s, suggesting that migration has not engendered a generalized shift to commercial crops. Potential explanations for the persistent use of rainfed, local maize among migrant headed households are drawn from a mixed methods methodology involving triangulated analyses of household economic data, land tenure arrangements, perceptions of environmental change, participant observation, and archival research. Triangulated analyses allow speculation on linked human environmental changes in the landscape that may have reinforced use of a traditional, rainfed grain crop. Title: Safety in Maize: Subsistence Agriculture in a Zapotec Migrant Town Author: Gladstone, Fiona Joy Year: 2014 Subsistence maize production has long been a dominant economic activity of households in Santiago Apóstol, a Zapotec community in the Central Valley of Oaxaca, Mexico. A baseline study from 1973 documents a regionally pervasive form of household level agriculture whereby cultivators prioritize land for subsistence maize above commercial crops. Since then, much has transformed the face of rural Mexico, including migration to the United States. Migration accelerated beginning in the 1970s as a response to government disinvestment in maize, but it may also be a new force of cultural and economic change impacting agriculture. The question arises, has migration modified longstanding subsistence agricultural practices centered on local varieties of rainfed maize? If not, what might explain the continuities and changes in agricultural practice observed? Ethnographic land use and maize consumption surveys among 19 migrant headed households conducted in Santiago Apóstol in the summer and winter of 2012 indicate that mean production of maize remains equivalent to that documented in the late 1960s, suggesting that migration has not engendered a generalized shift to commercial crops. Potential explanations for the persistent use of rainfed, local maize among migrant headed households are drawn from a mixed methods methodology involving triangulated analyses of household economic data, land tenure arrangements, perceptions of environmental change, participant observation, and archival research. Triangulated analyses allow speculation on linked human environmental changes in the landscape that may have reinforced use of a traditional, rainfed grain crop. Close

• 30. [Article] Structure and Dynamics of Household Hazardous Wastes

  Municipal Solid wastes--the majority of which are household refuse--have, increasingly been implicated as a source of hazardous materials in landfill leachate discharges (U.S. EPA 1988). Data collected ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Structure and Dynamics of Household Hazardous Wastes Author: Wilson, Douglas C., Rathje, William L. Year: 1989 Municipal Solid wastes--the majority of which are household refuse--have, increasingly been implicated as a source of hazardous materials in landfill leachate discharges (U.S. EPA 1988). Data collected on the components of these wastes are critical for solid wastes systems planning--especially landfill design, hazardous materials collection systems, and resource recovery. A number of recent studies by the University of Arizona's Garbage Project have identified household products as a possible source of hazardous materials in landfills (Wilson 1985, Rathje et al. 1987a, 1987b). Studies have addressed (1) the definition of these "household hazardous wastes" (HHW), (2) the characteristics of HHW from hands-on analyses of residential solid wastes in four United States study cities and Mexico City, Mexico, (3) the relationships between derived waste characteristics and within-study city Socioeconomic variability and variability between the regions studied and (4) the potential biodegradation pathways and characteristics of municipal landfill leachates. Results of these studies suggest that: (1) While HHW comprises a very small proportion of the total residential solid wastes, total quantities generated per year are quite high. (2) Significant differences in HHW discard rates are observed between both study communities and census tracts within study communities. (3) Socioeconomic variability between census tracts (within study communities), are related to the differential discard of HHW and, we believe, can be used to estimate characteristics of HHW in U.S. cities without necessitating further large-scale, costly, refuse sorts. (4) Long-term discard trends for HHW may influence the levels of risk associated with these wastes. Garbage Project HHW studies have been funded at the national level by the Water Quality Engineering Division of the National Science Foundation and the Office of Solid Wastes of the Environmental Protection Agency and at the local level by city and county governments, private research organizations, and university departments. Title: Structure and Dynamics of Household Hazardous Wastes Author: Wilson, Douglas C., Rathje, William L. Year: 1989 Municipal Solid wastes--the majority of which are household refuse--have, increasingly been implicated as a source of hazardous materials in landfill leachate discharges (U.S. EPA 1988). Data collected on the components of these wastes are critical for solid wastes systems planning--especially landfill design, hazardous materials collection systems, and resource recovery. A number of recent studies by the University of Arizona's Garbage Project have identified household products as a possible source of hazardous materials in landfills (Wilson 1985, Rathje et al. 1987a, 1987b). Studies have addressed (1) the definition of these "household hazardous wastes" (HHW), (2) the characteristics of HHW from hands-on analyses of residential solid wastes in four United States study cities and Mexico City, Mexico, (3) the relationships between derived waste characteristics and within-study city Socioeconomic variability and variability between the regions studied and (4) the potential biodegradation pathways and characteristics of municipal landfill leachates. Results of these studies suggest that: (1) While HHW comprises a very small proportion of the total residential solid wastes, total quantities generated per year are quite high. (2) Significant differences in HHW discard rates are observed between both study communities and census tracts within study communities. (3) Socioeconomic variability between census tracts (within study communities), are related to the differential discard of HHW and, we believe, can be used to estimate characteristics of HHW in U.S. cities without necessitating further large-scale, costly, refuse sorts. (4) Long-term discard trends for HHW may influence the levels of risk associated with these wastes. Garbage Project HHW studies have been funded at the national level by the Water Quality Engineering Division of the National Science Foundation and the Office of Solid Wastes of the Environmental Protection Agency and at the local level by city and county governments, private research organizations, and university departments. Close