Housing and health resource

Our home is our ‘health setting’ for most, if not all, of our life. Poor housing, however, is estimated to cost the NHS at least £2 billion per annum.

NHS and local social care ambitions to enable ‘care closer to home’ will not be achieved if the home does not offer a healthy environment.

This resource will better equip local decision makers and practitioners to improve health and wellbeing and reduce health inequalities. It will:

• Inform a local shared understanding of the relationship between the home environment, physical and mental health and wellbeing, and which part/s of the population may be most at risk.
• Inform local discussions about the options to address housing issues as a means to improving health and wellbeing, and reducing health inequalities.

This resource can be used by anyone in a local area. It can inform:

• The Joint Strategic Needs Assessment and Health and Wellbeing Strategy;
• Commissioning and the development of integrated health care, social care and housing services;
• Local housing strategies, plans and policies;
• Elected members in their discussions with local communities about improving health and wellbeing.

The development of this resource was led by the CIEH, drawing on an academic review of the evidence, and the input of an expert reference group.

It has been supported by Public Health England as a means to develop and maintain capability and capacity in the local public health system.

Homelessness also has a significant impact on health and wellbeing, and places demand on the NHS: a PHE commissioned resource to enable a local understanding of the health needs of this population is available from Homeless Link.