Housing, climate change and health equity
In 2024/25, the Health and Housing Impact Network explored how new and retrofit homes can support public health and environmental sustainability. So why is it important to ensure housing development focuses on climate change and health equity?
The impacts of climate change on physical and mental health are well documented. They include death from extreme weather events such as flooding; illnesses related to heat exposure (including heat stroke and exhaustion); and respiratory illnesses from poor air quality. They are happening now and affecting the most vulnerable disproportionately. The current trajectory is for climate change and associated health inequalities to increase.
“As our climate changes, weather becomes more variable and extreme, and it is more likely that we will experience climate-related hazard events such as floods and heatwaves. Our buildings need to be designed so that they are resilient to these events, but the physical risk our built assets will face is not universal and is dependent on specific locations or building characteristics.” UK Green Building Council
It’s imperative, therefore, both to prevent things getting worse and to make changes to our existing infrastructure, services and wider environment. This includes people’s homes.
The good news is that evidence is growing about what can and should be done in designing and building new housing as well as retrofitting existing stock to be climate resilient, reduce carbon emissions and promote wellbeing.
“It is not too late to act to prevent, or at least mitigate, some of the effects of climate change. However, we must work together across political parties and in partnership with business, communities, and the voluntary sector.” Greg Fell, President, Association of Directors of Public Health
Where are the gaps?
There are, however, knowledge gaps, misconceptions and challenges. Upfront costs may seem prohibitive even when the case for ultimate return on investment is clear. There are multiple policies, standards and guidelines for sustainable building, with no overall consensus about what good looks like when climate change and health equity are considered together.
We do not yet have the skills and capacity to deliver at pace. Moreover, there are real and perceived tensions between some environmental and health objectives. For example, between the need for better insulation against cold (and by implication heating bills), the importance of ventilation to reduce damp and mould, and the comparative environmental advantages of different technologies to make both these things possible.
The London Climate Resilience Review Interim Report (January 2024) found that “despite some progress in preparing for the impact of extreme heat and surface water flooding, London was underprepared for the frequency and severity of climate change currently experienced. It also found that low-income households, the elderly, minority communities, children and vulnerable health groups faced a ‘lethal risk’.”
Our findings
Following our research and events across the year, we’ve produced Delivering housing, climate change and health equity: Lessons from new build and retrofit homes. The guide takes lessons from our programme, with a focus on decision-making, resolving tensions and managing-trade offs. It features case studies from London and draws out advice from our network members. The tips and recommendations in the guide are highly practical, designed to be taken up by housing and health professionals tasked with delivering under tough constraints.
Supported by Impact on Urban Health
Masterclass series
- How a Waltham Forest pilot created a healthier home – Read the write up
- New build homes for climate and health – Read the write up
- Delivering for housing, climate change and healthy equity – Read the write up
About the year two programme
View the key findings from our topic launch
Read a write up from a field trip to our new build case study (Kings Crescent estate) to earn about meeting health and environment objectives
Take a look at the write up from our retrofit case study – taken from a virtual field trip to 47 Greenleaf Road in Waltham Forest
Subscribe to find out first about events and network outputs here