The Fort Collins Healthy Homes Program received the 2018 Secretary’s Award for Healthy Homes for making indoor environments healthier, according to a press release from the City.

The United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development recognized Fort Collins as one of four recipients of the award on June 27. 

Selina Lujan, senior environmental services specialist for the City of Fort Collins, accepted the award for Policy and Education Innovation on behalf of the City at the annual HUD conference in Anaheim, California.

According to the National Environmental Health Association, the Secretary’s Award recognizes, “significant work on the relationship between living environments and resident health.” Each year HUD recognizes cities for research, education and program delivery aimed at making indoor environments healthier, especially in low to moderate income communities.

The Healthy Homes Program in Fort Collins trains volunteers to provide press air quality assessments, carbon monoxide detectors, radon test kits and non-toxic cleaning products, according to the City.

We’re proud to be a City that can put the Health in Healthy Homes 🏡 https://t.co/0zEy268CFV

— City of Fort Collins (@fortcollinsgov) July 5, 2018

“The City is pleased and humbled by this award,” said City Manager Darin Atteberry in the release. “The success and popularity of the Healthy Homes program illustrates the City’s overall commitment to the community’s health and well-being.”

Since the program’s founding in 2011, it has trained 170 individuals called “Master Home Educators” who have conducted over 800 assessments, 20 percent of which were in homes with residents with asthma or respiratory problems.

Volunteers assess ventilation, mold, chemical contaminants, cleanliness, pests, home maintenance and safety.

Fort Collins residents can sign up for an in-home assessment at the Healthy Homes website. The program also recently released a do-it-yourself guide to in-home air quality assessment, available online.

Collegian reporter Ravyn Cullor can be reached at news@collegian.com or on Twitter @RCullor99