Assessing housing quality and its impact on health, safety and sustainability
Abstract
Background: The adverse health and environmental effects of poor housing quality are well established. A central requirement for evidence-based policies and programmes to improve housing standards is a valid, reliable and practical way of measuring housing quality that is supported by policy agencies, the housing sector, researchers and the public. Methods: This paper provides guidance on the development of housing quality-assessment tools that link practical measures of housing conditions to their effects on health, safety and sustainability, with particular reference to tools developed in New Zealand and England. Results: The authors describe how information on housing quality can support individuals, agencies and the private sector to make worthwhile improvements to the health, safety and sustainability of housing. The information gathered and the resultant tools developed should be guided by the multiple purposes and end users of this information. Other important issues outlined include deciding on the scope, detailed content, practical administration issues and how the information will be analysed and summarised for its intended end users. There are likely to be considerable benefits from increased international collaboration and standardisation of approaches to measuring housing hazards. At the same time, these assessment approaches need to consider local factors such as climate, geography, culture, predominating building practices, important housing-related health issues and existing building codes. Conclusions: An effective housing quality-assessment tool has a central role in supporting improvements to housing. The issues discussed in this paper are designed to motivate and assist the development of such tools.
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Housing is a critical social, cultural, and environmental determinant of health and well-being.
“Housing is a critical social, cultural, and environmental determinant of health and well-being (82, 83).”
From Review of the Impact of Housing Quality on Inequalities in Health and Well-Being (2023) · cites this paper as [82]
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Review of the Impact of Housing Quality on Inequalities in Health and Well-Being
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“Yet, housing is an important health-related determinant for the residents’ health and safety as well as sustainable development [7].”
BackgroundLiao, C., Varcoe, C., Brown, H., & Pike, I. (2024) · BMC Public Health · doi:10.1186/s12889-024-19866-z · Cited by 8 · see citing works
“…facilities for food storage and preparation, limited access to Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) facilities, presence of household pests such as cockroaches, mice, and rats, exposure to noise pollution, and risk of asbestos exposure are some examples of inadequate housing conditions [7, 8].”
Background
- Authors
- Keall, M., Baker, M. G., Howden-Chapman, P., Cunningham, M., & Ormandy, D.
- Affiliations
- University of Otago (NZ)
- Building Research Association of New Zealand (NZ)
- University of Warwick (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Keall, Michael
- Venue
- Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health
- Publisher
- BMJ
- Published
- 2010-06-01
- Volume
- 64
- Issue
- 9
- Pages
- 765-771
- ISSN
- 0141-7681 (ISSN-L)
- 0143-005X
- 1470-2738
- OpenAlex
- W2112282290
- Cited by
- 88
- References
- 44
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 8 · 2024: 10 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 6 · 2016: 6 · 2015: 6 · 2014: 5 · 2013: 7 · 2012: 4
- FWCI
- 2.93
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Warwick Research Archive Portal (University of Warwick) (acceptedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Indoor Air Quality and Microbial Exposure
- Social Sciences › Urban Studies › Urban and Rural Development Challenges
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Pollution › Energy and Environment Impacts
- Keywords
- housing quality, housing safety, housing sustainability, housing standards, housing policy, New Zealand, England
- MeSH terms
- Building Codes, Conservation of Natural Resources, England, Environmental Pollution, Health Status, Housing, Humans, New Zealand, Quality Control, Safety, Ventilation, Risk Assessment
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