Housing challenges for people living with multiple chemical sensitivity
We announce a survey opportunity for people with multiple chemical sensitivity and the housing challenges they face. This survey and the research that will be based on it can help lead to safer housing.
Please note that the survey ends by August 8, 2025.
As part of her Masters in Public Health program at Eastern Washington University, Janet Stone is compiling data about the housing needs of people whose health conditions include MCS. I met Janet Stone online when she was a guest of the Massachusetts Association for the Chemically Injured (MACI) in their monthly online meeting on July 28. Janet is doing important, ground-breaking work. Let’s help her.
Here's Janet's letter of introduction, and the link to the survey:
I developed chemical sensitivities at the age of 15 when my family's home was treated for termites and the pressurized solution accidentally got pumped into our living space. My life changed overnight and I have had constant health issues since then.
One of the greatest challenges was finding safe housing. I decided if I could ever catch a break and get well enough to go back to college, I was going to become an epidemiologist and advocate for people with MCS and those with related access needs. As the decades went by that seemed less and less likely until I finally found successful treatment for my Mast Cell Activation Syndrome. It gave me enough stability that I could commit to school (at the age of 65) and for the last five years that's what I have been doing...first a bachelor's in biomedical science from the University of Wisconsin, and now a master's in public health from Eastern Washington University.
I would love for you to take this survey and help us collect the data we need for policy advocacy and provider education. It will be the basis for a journal paper in addition to my thesis presentation. No identifiable information is collected and you can also have your friends and family who are not chemically sensitive fill it out to serve as the controls. Just reading through it might help them understand your situation better.
Here is the link. Please feel free to share:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/housingmcs
You can make arrangements to answer the survey questions by telephone (719) 659-0817 if you are not a computer user.
Don't give up on your dreams!
Janet
About MCS, from the Governor’s proclamation:
MCS is a term used to describe a complex medical condition that some individuals develop after exposure to chemicals in the home, at work or in the environment. Due to the often debilitating nature of the illness and the major financial, employment, housing, health and social consequences for individuals and families expanding knowledge of MCS within the general public is an important first step toward preventing additional injuries.
Symptoms of MCS include fatigue, headache, respiratory ailments, various skin conditions, cardiovascular and gastrointestinal problems, muscle and joint pain, memory and concentration difficulties and other neurological problems. A key hallmark of this illness is that adverse responses to chemicals can develop at exposure levels generally thought to be safe. This illness recognizes no boundaries of age, sex, or economic circumstances. There is no known cure for MCS, though research is ongoing to clarify the pathophysiology of the MCS disorder and to develop effective treatments and management of this complex medical condition.
Poor indoor air quality is a major factor in the development and in chronic triggering of symptoms. The combination of mold and fungus, pesticides, fragranced personal care products, cleaning agents, and other chemicals commonly found in the home or workplace create a toxic mix that can be inhaled and absorbed into the body. Other common triggers of MCS include paint, building materials, vehicle exhaust, office products, latex, and carpet and fabric chemicals.
Simple measures such as adopting scent-free policies, use of less-toxic cleansers and building products, adequate ventilation of indoor spaces, smoking bans, and restrictions on pesticide use and instituting least toxic pest control can greatly improve accessibility for those with MCS, and will enhance the health of the general public, and may prevent future cases of the
illness.
You can find out more about MACI and see the Governor’s proclamation of support for educating the public about MCS at the website of the Massachusetts Association for the Chemically Injured (MACI). MACI can be contacted by calling 978-681-5117 or visiting MACI's website at www.maci-mcs.org . MACI regularly holds support group meetings over zoom.
Toxicant-Induced Loss of Tolerance (TILT) is considered an alternative term for, or potential explanation for, conditions such as Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) .