Poor-quality housing threatens health

A damning report has revealed that millions of people in England are living in sub-standard homes that risk worsening their health, despite successive Governments’ policies meant to ensure homes are decent, safe and warm.

In total some 4.5 million people aged 50 or over and living with an existing health condition are residing in poor-quality housing with one or more problems such as rising damp, rot or decay that may be making them even sicker, the Centre for Ageing Better has found. Of those, 1.7 million are aged 70 or over and that figure is set to rise as more of us are living for longer.

It’s a pretty staggering revelation – that for many of us, the place we call home is actually damaging our health and well-being.

Dr Carole Easton, chief executive of the Centre for Ageing Better, a charity tackling inequalities in ageing, said its report exposed how the housing crisis was putting millions of older people with health conditions “in harm’s way”.

“This is obviously terrible for those individuals who live in homes that carry a very real risk of making them sick, particularly when winter comes around. But it is also very bad news for the country. Older workers living in homes that are making their health conditions worse are going to be less likely to be able to work and help grow the economy.

Pressures on the NHS

“Older people whose serious health conditions are made worse by their homes will require treatment, putting additional winter pressures on our health system. All could be averted if we tackled poor-quality housing with the urgency and priority it demands.”

One of the worst problems which makes our homes bad for us is dampness and this is further exacerbated by problems in keeping our homes warm, either because of inefficient or costly to run heating systems.

And older people are more vulnerable to the health consequences of living in a damp, cold home because of their higher incidence of respiratory conditions like asthma, bronchitis and COPD.

Officially a residential property is assessed as having a damp problem where any of the following exist: penetrating damp, rising damp, or extensive patches of mould growth on walls and ceilings and/or mildew on soft furnishings.

Rising damp

None of those conditions should be considered acceptable in the 21st century, particularly in one of the world’s richest countries. Yet I am sure many of these statements will be a surprise to the majority of people who are reading this column.

In these circumstances I really would hope to see the Labour Government prioritising its investment in energy efficiency and green energy at these properties and their occupants, rather than at wealthy homeowners.

If I could suggest a New Year’s resolution for Ed Miliband it would be that he spends more money on improving the nation’s draughty and damp homes, while also trying to improve our energy security. The former could have a serious impact on our net zero carbon emission targets.

Significant improvements in insulation, coupled with the installation of solar panels and heat pumps could also make a significant difference to the quality of life of the people living in sub-standard residences.

It could improve both their quality of life and the amount of time they live in better health, while also driving down levels of fuel poverty.

A costly causal link

Evidence from multiple sources including the English Housing Survey is telling us that poor quality homes are a huge contributor to poor health.

A report from the British Research Establishment (BRE) says that poor quality housing is adding significant pressures onto the NHS, with first-year treatment alone costing a staggering £1.4billion a year.

These are first year treatment costs alone. For many hazards there may be ongoing treatment beyond the first year. There will be ‘societal costs’, such as those relating to care, which in some cases may continue for a lifetime.

There will be a loss of economic potential (poorer educational achievement, loss of productivity, career prospects, etc) for victims of hazards, family carers and employers. There will also be the mental health cost of suffering and trauma.

When these societal costs are included, it is estimated that the full cost to society of leaving people living in poor housing is some £18.5bn a year. A figure so big it is difficult for many of us to comprehend, but it’s equivalent to half of our annual spending on defence.

Hazards to be averted

These cost burdens on the NHS and wider society from unhealthy housing will continue unless a targeted effort is undertaken to improve the poorest housing stock.

The most common extreme hazards likely to be found in the home are those relating to cold and home accidents, particularly falls on stairs. These are, generally, not expensive to rectify compared with the long-term cost to the health services and society if they are ignored.

Such hazards are particularly harmful to the most vulnerable, especially older people and families with young children.

According to the BRE the average costs of remedying these property ‘hazards’ are a relatively modest £3,590 for dampness and £7,119 for excessive cold.

Improving poor housing has multiple benefits, beyond those that just relate to the health of their occupants. These include reduced energy costs and carbon emissions, higher residual asset values, and local job creation opportunities.

Widespread problems

Serious dampness problems are present in the homes of at least one million households.

Older homes are more likely to have defects to their roof coverings, rainwater drainage, damp proof courses, render and brickwork. High rainfall is also a significant factor in aggravating damp problems. This is something we are seeing a lot more of through the results of climate change.

General disrepair can also let in water. Defective damp proof courses and broken gutters and downpipes are among the most common sources of Category 1 dampness, which in turn can lead to mould growth within the home,

Private renters are the most likely to be living in a damp home (10%, 441,000). Local authority renters (7%, 109,000) and housing association renters (4%, 106,000) are also more likely to live in a damp home compared with owner occupiers (2%, 354,000) even though social housing properties are generally more modern than those in the private sector.

Inequalities

The analysis from the Centre for Ageing Better also uncovered significant inequalities. Almost half (46%) of black, Asian or minority ethnic people aged 50 or above with one health condition had at least one problem with their home. This compared with about one in three (32%) white people.

People aged 50 or over from a black, Asian or minority ethnic background and with a health condition were also twice as likely to have five or more problems with their housing compared with white people.

Those aged 50 and above with a health condition negatively affected by poor housing conditions and with a significant issue in their own home were most likely to live in London (52%), followed by the north-east (35%) and the north-west (35%).

The Prime Minister has promised to reduce NHS waiting times and make the UK the fastest-growing major economy by 2029. Ministers have now been told that the drive to stabilise the health service and deliver sustained economic growth will fail unless the country’s sub-standard housing stock is urgently improved.

Holly Holder, the deputy director for homes at the Centre for Ageing Better, said: “No one should have to live in a home that damages their health, yet it is the norm for far too many people in England today. By failing to address poor-quality homes we are limiting the lives of some of the country’s poorest and most vulnerable people.

“We are calling on the Government to fix this hidden housing crisis by delivering a national strategy to tackle poor-quality housing across all tenures and committing to halving the number of non-decent homes over the next decade.”

Patrick Mooney is News editor, Housing Management & Maintenance