Healthy Communities in Washington
At Toxic-Free Future, we work to create healthy and thriving communities. Our collaborative efforts focus on reducing toxic chemicals and pollution in homes and communities—especially ones facing disproportionate health and environmental impacts.
Why healthy building materials matter for your home
Where and how housing is built—and the materials used—plays an important role in our health. Many commonly used building materials—like flooring, sealants, carpet, and cabinetry—contain hazardous chemicals, such as phthalates, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), PFAS, and formaldehyde. These chemicals, linked to serious health concerns from asthma to cancer, can leach out of products and lead to exposure through direct contact, breathing indoor air, and household dust.
There is no reason for building materials to contain highly hazardous chemicals, especially when safer alternatives exist. Toxic-Free Future is working to increase the use of safer building materials in affordable housing and advance policies that ban harmful chemicals from building materials.
What are safer building materials in affordable housing?
What is the Healthy Materials Matrix and how can it help?
In partnership with Habitable, Side x Side Architects, the International Living Future Institute, and the Housing Development Consortium of Seattle-King County (HDC), we’re building momentum for healthier affordable housing in Washington.
Together, we developed the Healthy Materials Matrix—a resource that helps affordable housing developers easily identify and switch to safer building materials in new construction and renovations. A simplified version is available on our website for contractors and homeowners interested in avoiding harmful chemicals in their homes.
We launched the Matrix in a webinar for affordable housing developers, architects, and advocates across the state. The recording is still available on our website as a free resource to support implementation.
Toxic-Free Future's Healthy Materials Matrix
A simplified guide to safer building materials for multi-family housing
From hormone-disrupting phthalates in sealants to toxic flame retardants in insulation, many common construction materials include toxic ingredients that can put our health at risk. This guide highlights the most concerning material categories found in multifamily housing and offers safer, healthier alternatives to choose instead.
Replacing toxic flooring in affordable housing: a safer alternative
In partnership with HDC and Side x Side Architects, Toxic-Free Future is also working on a flooring replacement program. With funding from the Washington Stormwater Center, we are replacing flooring products that contain highly hazardous chemicals with safer flooring options in King County affordable housing between 2025-2026.
This collaborative project will demonstrate how feasible it is to move away from less healthy options like vinyl flooring and carpet to create safer indoor environments for residents.
What policies are making housing healthier in Washington?
Regulatory actions that protect public health are essential for scaling access to healthier building materials. We advocate for:
- Stronger protections under the Safer Products for Washington program, which gives the Department of Ecology the authority to regulate toxic chemicals in building materials and other products.
- Improvements to Washington’s Evergreen Sustainable Development Standard (ESDS), which governs state-funded affordable housing construction and renovation. By strengthening these requirements, we can ensure that publicly funded housing meets a high standard for using healthy building materials—benefiting thousands of residents across the state.
How we’re tackling lead exposure in Washington communities
In partnership with Public Health – Seattle & King County and local community organizations, we’ve worked to raise awareness of lead hazards in communities disproportionately impacted by exposure to lead in their homes and products.These efforts include public education, advocacy, and hands-on testing.
From 2022 to 2024, as part of a King County lead awareness initiative, we conducted 24 lead testing events with 10 community partners across the county. The results were concerning: many cookware items—including pots, pans, and pressure cookers—we found to contain dangerous levels of lead.
We’re continuing to raise awareness and push for solutions that protect families from this preventable hazard.
