Housing and Health
Strengthening leadership and action for housing responses to critical health issues.
For 20 years, Rooftops Canada and its local housing partners have been developing solutions to counter the negative relationship between housing and health in slums. One critical focus area has been reducing the spread of HIV and AIDS in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Kenya, Cameroon, and Uganda. The training of peer educators has reduced stigma and discrimination in housing groups.
Dire poverty in Africa usually means enduring grim living conditions in severely overcrowded slums that lack essential water, sanitation, electricity, health care, and education services. The impact on people’s health is severe, contributing to the rapid spread of infections like HIV, tuberculosis, and most recently, COVID-19. Children are especially vulnerable to gastrointestinal diseases.
Community-driven projects in urban slums have improved access to health services and food security while enhancing the livelihoods of thousands of people living with HIV and AIDS. By providing targeted financial support, engaging sector specialists, conducting local and regional workshops, Rooftops Canada has assisted housing partners to deliver programs that have an impact by including marginalized groups in housing and health solutions. Programs have also fostered alliances to convince government authorities to invest in basic housing and health care services. The strengths developed in lobbying and advocacy are now being applied to the COVID-19 pandemic.
