The New York City Housing Authority developed Mold Busters, a mold removal program, in response to a class action lawsuit filed in 2013 by residents suffering from asthma caused by mold in their apartments. A new study presented at the ATS 2026 international conference shows the program reduced asthma-related emergency department visits by nearly 2,800 per year.
Researchers estimate that without the program, asthma-related emergency department (ED) visits among New York City public housing residents would have increased by 25%. This is the first large-scale observational study to show that a city-wide mold intervention project can significantly reduce the burden of asthma exacerbations.
“These results suggest that housing interventions for asthma triggers may play an important role in reducing long-term asthma disparities,” said lead author Dr. Nina Flores. She conducted this research while a doctoral student at Columbia University and is currently a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Texas at Austin School of Social Work and Dell Medical School.
Mold Busters is a mold removal and remediation program that has improved mold-related response timelines, trained staff in evidence-based mold removal, and led to large-scale ventilation improvements in public housing in New York City. Small studies have suggested that these improvements can reduce asthma-related disease, but the researchers wanted to know whether these effects would be observed on a large scale.
In a new study, researchers compared emergency department visits among people living in public housing in New York City to a control group of people living in neighborhoods with similar income levels.
The study found that residents of public housing served by Moldbusters had an average of nine fewer asthma-related ED visits per 1,000 people compared to residents in similar non-public housing areas, providing concrete evidence of the program’s effectiveness.
Flores noted that buildings that saw the greatest decline in mold complaints after mold removal also saw the steepest decline in asthma-related emergency department visits. This further supports the association between the Mold Busters intervention and the observed health improvements.
Although the research team measured emergency department visits, Professor Flores said the study did not capture the impact of less severe asthma exacerbations, which can cause people to miss work or school, or other allergies or respiratory problems associated with mold exposure.
The health benefits reported here may underestimate the full range of health-related benefits of the intervention. ”
Dr. Nina Flores, first author
The researchers plan to repeat the analysis once more data becomes available, hoping to understand whether the benefits persist or increase over time. Removing and remediating mold not only reduces exacerbations, but may also prevent new asthma attacks, the researchers said.
The team also conducts home visits to collect data on fungal exposure, allergic sensitization, and asthma-related illnesses in children living in public housing in New York City after a mold complaint and 12 months after mold removal.
sauce:
American Thoracic Society
