Healthy Homes

Healthy Homes are:

• Shelters that support a state of physical, mental and social well-being
• Homes that give people a sense of belonging, security and privacy
• Strong and safe structures
• Within communities that encourage social interactions and support health and well-being
• Located close to services, green spaces and public transport
• Protected from waste, pollution and natural or man-made disasters

Unhealthy homes create higher health risks for people who:

• Have pre-existing health conditions such as allergies, asthma, cystic fibrosis, other lung diseases and cardiovascular disease and they are more likely to develop fungal infections or additional allergies
• Have weakened immune systems – including those with cancer, those receiving chemotherapy, transplant patients and individuals on medications that weaken their immune system
• Have mental health conditions
• Are pregnant or have recently given birth as they may have a weakened immune system
• Are bed-bound, house-bound or have mobility problems – making it more difficult to leave the home and into fresh air

There are three main types of unhealthy homes:

• an unhealthy home that is damaged structurally either internally or externally
• an overcrowded home that has too many people living in it
• a house with precarious tenure, for example the house could be taken away from the people living in it at any time and for no reason.

Why does it matter?

• Living in poor-quality housing (such as ones that are damp, cold or overcrowded) can have a serious impact on physical and mental health
• Health problems caused by poor-quality housing costs the NHS approximately 2.5 billion pounds per year

Causes of poor-quality housing

Houses vary in age, design and the materials used to build them, and each home comes with its own set of problems. One common issue is damp and mould which makes homes unhealthy to live in.

The most common causes of this are:

• Heating systems that are inefficient, ineffective or costly to run
• Poor ventilation
• Inability to use ventilation – such as opening windows – due to worry about safety, noise or poor outside air quality
• Lack of understanding around how to most efficiently use ventilation – such as ensuring extractor fans are turned on and doors closed on a steamy room until moisture has been removed
• Lack of proper damp-proofing
• Poor home maintenance
• Overcrowded living conditions

Other causes are:

• Socioeconomic status
• High cost of living
• Over-heating the home
• Lack of appropriate clothes drying facilities
• Lack of awareness and knowledge