Objectives:

To describe the general conditions of Priority Interest Housing (VIP by its acronym in Spanish) built in Medellin from 2008-2013, and the sociodemographic characteristics and self-reported morbidity of the families that inhabit them.

Materials and methods:

Descriptive, ambispective, and transversal study. Representative proportional random sampling consisting of 380 houses from 13 residential areas located in 4 communes and in 2 of the smaller villages near the city of Medellin, in 2014. Analysis of social, economic, demographic, environmental, and health variables as well as of the characteristics of the apartments were carried out. Primary information source: survey and data sheet for the characterization of housing units. Secondary information source: database of the Social Institute for Housing and Habitat of Medellin.

Results:

VIP projects were constructed in 5-11 stories height buildings, in 1 and 2 social strata peripheral communes of the city. The housing units’ built area ranged from 44.75 to 47.40 m2, and the apartments were 100% subsidized by public investment resources; 63.9% of the apartments have been improved by their inhabitants and consist of an average of 2 rooms per housing unit. Of a total of 1564 residents, 32.5% belong to a special category of the population (displaced and African descent population, and other ethnic groups). Student population was the most predominant (33%);12.6% (198 residents) registered self-reported morbidity events related to the apartment, of which 53% corresponded to acute respiratory infection, 6.6% to acute diarrheal disease, and 0.38% (6 residents) accidents within the housing units. 62.6% of the residents mentioned discomforts since they moved to the units due to noise or loud music from neighbors, 55% mentioned suffering from nervousness or stress, 32.4% reported sleeping problems, 31% mentioned profound sadness, and 34.7% wished to return to their previous housing.

Conclusions:

The need for further studies that help to establish the relation between housing and health was detected.

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