Healthy homes are possible

Co-op eration got Linda Longphee a healthy home. Linda suffers from chemical sensitivity and fibromyalgia. She applied for housing under New Brunswick's Affordable Rental Housing Program and found a home in a project in Moncton, New Brunswick. Avide Developments Inc., a Co-op Atlantic subsidiary, agreed to renovate a house to accommodate Linda's disability. Renovations were done with materials identified through extensive research and then tested by Linda for tolerability. A special heat recovery ventilation system was also installed.

Learning, patience and flexibility were the keys to success. An EHANS board member provided many hours of unpaid research to find healthier materials. Project manager Rodney Robinson was willing to listen, learn and solve problems to accommodate Linda's special needs. The process had its ups and downs, including sewer gas leakage and a furnace problem which left oily residue in the forced air ductwork and throughout the house. But at the end of the day, without "break the bank" changes, Linda's new home is an example that housing for the chemically sensitive is possible when there is a commitment to make it happen.