Health and Wellbeing in Homes

This report discusses the mental, social and physical health and wellbeing of the people who occupy the homes we build and retrofit. It is aimed at all those with a role in developing, designing, delivering or managing general needs housing in the UK.
Climate Change Adaptation Health, Wellbeing and Social Value Retrofit Resilient Buildings Technical Report

Our home, both the location and the physical building itself, influences almost every aspect of our lives – from how well we sleep, to how often we see friends, to how safe and secure we feel. If we want to improve the health and wellbeing of individuals, families and communities, there can hardly be a more important place to start than the home: it is where most people spend most of their life.

This report is about beginning a concerted effort to shift the market towards a focus on the mental, social and physical health and wellbeing of the people who occupy the homes we build and retrofit. It is aimed at all those with a role in developing, designing, delivering or managing housing, and is focused on general needs homes in the UK housing sector. We aim to gather and distil the most compelling evidence and advice about building and neighbourhood design features which can enhance the health and wellbeing of residents.

The report also explores the ‘value’ case for action. Through a combination of a literature review, dialogue with housing providers and dedicated consumer research undertaken by one of our task group members, Saint-Gobain, we demonstrate that there is a compelling business case for the industry to focus on health and wellbeing in residential property.

Since the launch of the report, UKGBC has worked with Arup experts to produce three Technical Papers to provide more detailed guidance for project teams on specific issues related to health and wellbeing in homes.

Read the report here.

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