This final report from the Good Home Inquiry examines the problem of unsuitable and low-quality housing in England’s existing housing stock.
Poor-quality housing has a negative impact on individuals and can disrupt whole communities. There is a strong link between our homes and our health, with two million houses (1 in 10) posing a serious risk to their residents’ health or safety. On a purely economic basis, the annual cost to the NHS attributed to low-quality housing is estimated at £1.4 billion for first-year treatment costs.
This report is a distillation of a number of critical source documents and activities undertaken as part of the Good Home Inquiry, including directly engaging with over 1,000 members of the public to share their experiences of living in poor-quality homes and activities such as public webinars. This approach was combined with a comprehensive policy and evidence review to come up with potential solutions for how to manage and finance the work needed to make our homes fit for the 21st century.
The report proposes solutions such as a 'Good Home Agency' that provides access to information and advice, as well as a cross-government housing strategy with a ministerial champion to implement it. NHS England, local authorities and Integrated Care Systems (ICS) must also include housing as a key part of preventative strategies to improve population health and address health inequalities.
