Why we must improve wellbeing in the built environment

Clive Docwra is managing director of consultancy McBains

The private housing and construction sectors are under pressure to create healthier buildings, but this need cannot be divorced from environmental and economic factors. And there is a need for greater guidance and clarity in the form of policy.

“Social housing providers have long faced mandatory standards on health and wellbeing that have encouraged investment”

People spend 90 per cent of their time indoors, so the built environment’s impact on wellbeing cannot be underestimated. Inadequate properties expose occupants to dangers ranging from structural defects to cold and dampness, which can trigger respiratory conditions. 

A Building Research Establishment report last year found poor housing in England costs the NHS £1.4bn a year in treatment bills, rising to £18.5bn annually when wider societal costs are included. The report also said an estimated 2.6 million homes – 11 per cent of England’s housing stock – are categorised as ‘poor quality’ and hazardous to occupants.

However, it is important to recognise that the construction industry cannot be expected to be responsible for spearheading the drive to remedy inadequate housing stock. Intervention is needed from the government in the form of policies to drive change by integrating health principles into housing standards. 

A flagship policy for the way in which the health and wellbeing effects of good housing can be legislated for is the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015. This Welsh law requires public bodies to consider the long-term impact of housing on future generations, and Welsh authorities report that it has been successful in prompting change. 

The UK government does have some promising initiatives in the pipeline, including the forthcoming Warm Homes plan. There are also new home standards currently under consideration, aimed at preventing the construction of properties that have the potential to cause health problems. 

However, the government’s own housing delivery targets have created urgent pressure. There is a danger that the drive to build 1.5 million homes during this parliamentary term will move faster than the enactment of new housing policies to protect vulnerable people and address public warmth and health via housing policies.

Making the link

In order to drive faster legislative change, the housing industry could advocate for the economic benefits that healthier homes and buildings bring. For example, healthier housing means reduced crime rates and lower NHS costs. 

However, it remains a stark fact that the total cost of remedying all category one hazards (those that are a serious and immediate risk to a person’s health and safety) in English homes is estimated at £9.8bn, approximately seven times annual NHS treatment costs from these hazards. This makes it crucial to boost the business case for healthy housing by linking its benefits to net zero, sustainability and the health of the economy.

The private sector can also learn from the social housing sector when it comes to health and wellbeing initiatives. Social housing providers have long faced mandatory standards aimed at addressing health and wellbeing in housing, and these have encouraged innovation and investment. 

While private sector builders have greater access to capital, they sometimes lack the knowledge needed to identify healthy housing characteristics and to demand better housing standards. 

Guidance on best practices could well transform the private sector in this regard. For example, Passivhaus standards now achieve equivalent costs to standard construction in some areas. 

We also need policy frameworks that incentivise private sector investment in healthy housing, ensuring retrofit programmes adopt approaches that are consistent with enhanced wellbeing.

Ultimately, the drive to improve health and wellbeing in the built environment will be driven from many quarters, including educational initiatives, emerging technology and community-led housing initiatives. All these will support the private sector in meeting the challenge of building healthier buildings.