Across the nation, hundreds of thousands of people have reduced radon levels in their homes. Radon-reduction systems work!

People whose homes test with elevated radon levels often ask themselves, "Do I really need to spend the money to make my house safe?" The answer is a definite "yes!"

Consider this: In today's real-estate market, many buyers are testing for radon before they buy. This means that when you sell your home, you may be required to make repairs for radon.

Why wait and let the next family benefit instead of yours? If you have radon, find out early so your family can benefit. If you don't repair your home, you risk:

• Exposing your family to a known source of lung cancer.
• Not being able to sell your home because of concerns about high radon levels.
• Paying for expensive repairs that are of no benefit to your family.

Resources

The Healthy Homes Coalition wants to help you get your home fixed. Nationally, the cost of installing a radon mitigation system is about $1,200. Often, the cost can be less. When compared to the cost of dealing with cancer, it's clear that fixing a radon problem is the smart thing to do.

But many of us do not have a lot of spare cash sitting around. The Healthy Homes Coalition is dedicated to working with parents to help them find resources to fix their homes. In many communities, parents can get their home fixed using Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds for emergency home repairs. To explore this possibility in your community, contact the Healthy Homes Coalition at (616) 241-3300.

Healthy Homes can also send you a helpful booklet, Consumers Guide to Radon Reduction. And we can provide you with the most recent list of Michigan-based radon mitigators who are certified by the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) and/or the National Radon Safety Board (NRSB). These are the two organizations that train and certify radon mitigators.

If you have questions about your radon levels and mitigation, contact the Healthy Homes Coalition at (616) 241-3300.