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£9bn improvements to poor housing would generate £135bn in societal benefits, says BRE
New research from the Building Research Establishment (BRE) has found that improvements to poor-quality homes in England would bring about £135.5bn in societal benefits over the next 30 years.
The figure was revealed in the BRE’s The Cost of Poor Housing report, which outlined health and well-being problems caused and exacerbated by “damp, noisy, poorly ventilated, light deficient and energy-inefficient” homes.
It calculated that if £9bn was investment into 2.4 million poor-quality homes, it would generate wider social pay back of £135.5bn, including £13.0bn of savings to the NHS.
The report was published as the BRE and All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Healthy Homes and Buildings launched a campaign to embed health and well-being principles in future housing policies, as well as publishing a Healthy Homes Manifesto on Tuesday.
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The manifesto calls on all parties, future legislators and policymakers to “recognise that serious, and sometimes, fatal health problems” are being generated by the UK’s unhealthy homes and buildings.
The BRE report argued that the £9bn need to improve homes would “pay for itself” within nine years based only on NHS savings.
It concluded that improving the 65,000 homes with a Category 1 damp and mould hazard would only cost £250m, “unlocking £4.8bn in societal benefit” over the next 30 years if this work was to be undertaken immediately.
Gillian Charlesworth, chief executive of the BRE, said: “Our analysis sends a clear signal to policymakers that investing in the health and safety of England’s poor housing will deliver significant, long-term economic and societal benefits.
“Up until now, no serious attempt has been made to examine and quantify the longer-term costs and benefits if the worst health and safety hazards were removed from England’s substandard housing.”
Jim Shannon MP, chair of the Healthy Homes and Buildings APPG, said: “The status quo is simply not sustainable.
“We need to act now to increase the standard, quality, energy efficiency, and health and well-being benefits in new and existing homes across the UK.
“The campaign is about making sure everyone has the right to live in a healthy home.
“All legislators and policymakers need to put health and well-being principles first for future generations.
“It is no longer acceptable to ignore the inextricable link between health and housing.
“We must ensure that our homes no longer cause or exacerbate poor health and well-being.
“We are confident that this is a campaign which will raise awareness and win support from all parties – and, most of all, realise positive change.”
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