The types of structural interventions and
costs varied considerably depending on the type
of dwelling in which the study child resided.
Roughly one third of enrolled homes (32%)
were apartments in multifamily buildings; the
remaining 68% were duplex or single-family
dwellings. Additional interventions that supplemented
the more routine weatherization repairs,
such as carpet replacement and bathroom fan
installation, were generally performed both in
apartments and in duplexes and single-family
dwellings. However, the housing authority could
perform only limited weatherization interventions
in single apartments of multifamily buildings
because they were not treating the whole
building. In a routine weatherization program,
the housing authority would treat an entire
multifamily building if 50% or more of the
residents were eligible in terms of income.
However, because this study began with enrollment
of asthmatic children instead of enrollment
of homes needing weatherization, the
housing authority could treat only the study
child’s apartment. The median weatherization
cost for duplexes and single-family dwellings
($4181) was nearly twice as high as that for
apartments ($2243), whereas median costs
for the additional interventions were similar
(apartment = $3005; duplex or single-family
dwelling = $3103). The small sample size prevented
evaluation of the impact of variable
intervention intensity on asthma outcomes.