Housing

Housing and health

The relationship between poor quality housing and poor health is widely recognised; a warm, dry and secure home being associated with better health. Whilst there is a complex relationship between housing and health, poor housing is associated with a wide range of health problems including respiratory disease, cardiovascular disease, hypothermia and poor mental health. Housing related hazards can also increase the risk of accidents and falls within the home.

Older people are especially vulnerable to injuries resulting from falls within the home and also to health problems resulting from a cold home. Whilst the ability of older people to heat their homes may be a result of reduced income, fuel poverty is also linked to a home’s energy efficiency.

In 2014, the Building Research Establishment, BRE, estimated that poor housing in England was costing the NHS approximately £1.4 billion per year.

Healthy Housing Hub

The Council’s Healthy Housing Hub works to improve the lives of vulnerable people and helps them to maintain an independent life by reducing the risk of poor health and accidents within the home.

The Healthy Housing Hub accepts referrals from health and care workers and a wide range of other public service, community, charity and volunteer services.

During 2017/18, the Healthy Housing Hub completed 1,791 referrals including:

• 692 more complex cases - with clients referred to the Hub primarily by health, care and community based colleagues due to high risk and multiple vulnerabilities
• 996 Handy-Person Service interventions delivered to help vulnerable people to remain living independently at home, in greater safety, and to facilitate hospital discharge
• 103 Child Home Safety improvements completed for vulnerable new-born and pre-school age children.

The Healthy Housing Hub Annual Report contains more information about the type of work undertaken and outcomes of these referrals.

For more information about the Healthy Housing Hub, please email healthyhousing@derby.gov.uk. 

The Healthy Housing Hub is delivered by the City Council's Strategic Housing Service who deliver and co-ordinate a broad range of services, integrating very effectively across Public Health, Health and Social Care work areas, including:

• the Disabled Facilities Service
• the Handyperson Service
• the Strategic lead on strategies for different groups, including the Older Person's Housing Strategy
• Housing Development and adaption programmes via its Accommodation Strategy for Disabled Adults and other groups
• the Stay Warm and Healthy programme of help for vulnerable people during the cold winter months
• the Child Home Safety Programme
• commissioning oversight of Derby Homes (the City Council's Arm's Length housing Management Organisation).

More information about these services can be found in the Housing section.