insect infestations, broken elevators, and widespread and recurring lead and mold problems. (16) Substandard housing conditions, such as poor ventilation, pest infestations, and water leaks, are directly associated with the development and exacerbation of respiratory diseases like asthma. (17) The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has made clear that no level of lead poisoning is safe. Lead poisoning can result in irreversible brain damage and affects every major bodily system. At high levels, lead poisoning can cause anemia, multi-organ damage, seizures, coma, and death in children. Even with the lowest levels of lead exposure, children experience physical, cognitive, and neurobehavioral impairment as well as lower IQ levels, lower class standing in high school, greater absenteeism, lower vocabulary and grammatical-reasoning scores, and poorer hand-eye coordination relative to other children. (18) Exposure to cold indoor temperatures is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease. (19) Due to its aging infrastructure, the living conditions in public housing are causing severe health consequences for public housing residents throughout the Nation, including asthma, respiratory illness, and elevated blood lead levels. (20) For example, one leading study found that children living in public housing have higher odds of asthma than children living in all types of private housing, even after adjusting for individual risk factors such as minority ethnicity and race, living in a low-income household, and living in a low-income community. (21) The rise of the COVID–19 pandemic has introduced a new level of risk into our society. (22) Poor housing conditions have been linked with worse health outcomes and infectious disease spread. One leading study found that counties with a higher percentage of households with poor housing had a higher incidence of, and mortality associated with, COVID–19 and recommended targeted health policies to support individuals living in poor housing conditions in order to