Europe, Inclusive Growth

New study finds correlation between poor housing and poor health

Andreas Hermelink | May 31, 2017

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This article was originally published on ecofys.com and is republished with permission

Europeans living in damp or mouldy buildings are 66% more likely to report poor health than those who do not. In a new research report, Ecofys, a Navigant company, investigated the relation between health, socio-economic status and housing conditions across the EU and its Member States. Results from the research also went into the 2017 edition of VELUX’s “Healthy Homes Barometer,” which was launched by the VELUX Group in Brussels today, also featuring new insight developed by Fraunhofer IBP and Copenhagen Economics.

This year’s Healthy Homes Barometer examines the effects of housing on the health of people in Europe, along with the associated costs to society and ways to tackle the problem. Europeans who suffer energy poverty, meaning they are unable to keep their homes comfortably warm in winter, are twice as likely to report poor health and nearly three times as likely to report living in a damp home.

One solution is to modernize Europe’s existing buildings through energy efficient and healthy renovations. This would not only lead to improved health outcomes, but also help to lower societal costs and reduce CO2emissions.

With many other factors impacting health, more research is needed to further specify the relationship between housing and health. Yet the research shows the strong link between the quality of buildings and general health.

Read more in the technical report by Ecofys, a Navigant company. 
Find the Healthy Home Barometer available at velux.com.

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